Awakening
by forever
Summary: A whirlwind friendship with an aspiring female writer, not much older than her, leads Candy to an unexpected sensuous journey of self discovery. Having her keen desire rudely awakened, she has to constantly fight a battle of will with her mind as she struggles to resist the charm of her enigmatic, handsome roommate, Albert. But she soon realizes this is one battle she'll never win.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! It's been a while hasn't it? I have no real excuse other than it's been a long uphill battle. But here I am finally back with a new story. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

**Acknowledgement: **Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement despite the lack of updates. And I especially want to express my gratitude to my dear friend, Keila Nott for her candid feedback. This fic is here because of her and each and everyone of you, and I'm dedicating this chapter to you all.

So without further ado, please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

by forever

**Chapter 1_  
><em>**

_Bliss. What is bliss?_

Candy thought she knew bliss, had felt bliss, had experienced bliss.

_Bliss is indulging in your favorite dessert. Bliss is spending time with your loved one. Bliss is having your wish come true. Bliss—plain and simple—is extreme happiness, a feeling of utter contentment. It's a generic notion. And that's all there is to it._

Apparently, she was wrong. Not completely—partly—but she was still wrong.

The moment of realization came when a conversation that began as harmless as a mindless blather over tea and chocolate chip cookies with her friend Tina unexpectedly dived into a topic that made her blush in ten different shades of crimson.

Three years her senior, Martina Rozenberg—that was Tina's full name—happened to be one of Dr. Martin's new patients. Candy met her a month ago, when a pretty red head frantically pounded at the door of the Happy Clinic on one late afternoon, just before closing time, screaming she would die from a knee infection.

The red head, Miss Rozenberg, wasn't dying, of course, and it wasn't even an infection—it was just a scrape, deeper than a superficial wound but not deep enough to be considered a laceration. Dr. Martin was not amused. He was in a hurry to go to a nearby town to visit a relative, and Miss Rozenberg caused him to miss his train. Unaware of this important fact, Miss Rozenberg kept her excited babbling about things that had no relation whatsoever with her minor injury. It came to a point where Candy had to jump in to whisk Miss Rozenberg out of the clinic before the oblivious woman could exhaust what was left of Dr. Martin's dwindling patience.

But instead of bidding Candy farewell, Miss Rozenberg, turning deaf ears on Candy's stuttering protest, dragged Candy by the elbow along the street into a small restaurant, about a block away from the clinic, and insisted that Candy stayed there to have dinner with her. Candy didn't have the heart to abandon the seemingly distraught Miss Rozenberg and ended up sitting through a full recount of the woman's life, which turned out to be quite riveting, even compared to her own life that never seemed to run out of excitement. And that was the beginning of a friendship between Candy and Miss Rozenberg—Tina.

Beautiful, brimming with youthful ardor, and fierce to speak her mind, Tina was one remarkable woman, none like any other Candy had ever met. When Dr. Martin commented Tina was what would he describe as another version of her with twice the amount of vigor and bravery, Candy couldn't find a reason to object and laughingly agreed. Tina was certainly that and so much more. Her rebellious nature reminded Candy of Terry, but her free spirited way of living, moving from place to place, perfectly modeled after Albert's nomadic lifestyle (what used to be his lifestyle—for having not recovered his memory, he seemed keen to adopt a more stable lifestyle, currently assuming a role as her friendly roommate).

In the short time they had made acquaintance with each other, Candy couldn't help but be drawn to Tina, and likewise Tina found Candy to be quite endearing. So it came to no surprise that the two women became fast good friends.

"Oh, Candy, my dear, dear, Candy, my dear, sweet, innocent Candice. Haven't you experienced bliss from a night of unbridled passion with a man?"

Violent fits of cough broke out of Candy's mouth. Of all the things her friend could ask...

Tina snickered. "That answers my question."

"What do you mean by that?" Candy pressed a folded napkin onto the trickle of tea hanging at the corner of her mouth.

Tina folded her arms across her chest, an expectant look crossing her face. "So... Have you? You know, have sex, make love, copulating, humping-"

Candy scrambled to reach across the table and slapped a hand over Tina's mouth. "GOOD LORDS, TINA..." Her eyes darted from side-to-side. Then as she noted the curious looks directed toward her, she retracted her hand and leaned back in her chair. "How could you talk so casually about such_... unseemly _things?" she continued in a near whisper.

"Unseemly, you say?" Tina huffed, her voice rising, but she quickly brought it down at Candy's warning glare. "I see nothing wrong with sex. It's not like we're talking about legalizing prostitution or selling opium. Trust me. It's the most mind-blowing experience you'll ever have in your entire life. The ultimate pinnacle of bliss."

"You must mean, something we shall experience after marriage, right?" Candy asked hesitantly. Tina spoke of the matter as though it materialized straight out of her own experience, but to suggest that would be an unspeakable offense—Tina was not married.

"Well... sweetie, there's nothing wrong with guarding your virginity for your beloved future husband, if that's what you prefer. But..." One manicured eyebrow raised, Tina leaned to pick her cup up, slender fingers curling around the porcelain handle. "You shouldn't deny yourself a delicious morsels of carnal pleasures." An impish smile curved her rouge lips as she took a gentle sip.

Candy's mouth dropped open at the scandalous suggestion. "TINA—" Candy quickly lowered her voice, wary of the deprecating glances from the two older women sitting two tables across from them. "I hope you're not just suggesting-"

"Do you even know what sex is?" Tina interjected, her tone mocking, as she put her cup back on the table.

"Of course, I do," Candy asserted, struggling not to cringe at the vulgar word being tossed about without the least bit of care, like a child's toy. Openly discussing the subject discomfited her to no end, but it was downright irksome whenever someone perceived her as a dingbat—she most definitely not a dingbat. "I read all about it in the book."

Tina's blue eyes widened with astonishment. "Is that right? Now, I must say that's surprising coming from you, Candy. But do tell... So which book have you read? Maybe it's something I haven't come across previously. I'd love to add that to my list. Who's the author?"

Candy clasped her hands to her chest, retrieving from her memory of what she could still remember. "Mmm... There are several. The biology of reproduction, the-"

Tina's fits of laughter, grating and excessively loud, attracted every single patron in the small cafe to direct their eyes toward the table she shared with Tina.

"Those... Those are school textbooks," Tina uttered in between gasp of chuckles, paying no heed to the scowl on Candy's face. "Did you just tell me that you learned about sex from textbooks? Candy, you're not serious, I hope. That's just simply hilarious."

"Fine. Laugh all you want. I thought those books provide all the details I need."

Halting her laughter at once, Tina stared fixedly at Candy without blinking for a good few seconds, as if there were horns growing on Candy's head, before swiftly flipping her purse open and pulling a book out. "Tell you what. Here, you can have this." Tina passed the book to Candy in a quick thrusting move, urging her to take it. "Read this. Then you'll know what I mean."

Candy examined the plain cover. It looked like an ordinary notebook, one she used for jotting down observations made during patient visit in the clinic. She thumbed to the first page and noticed the rows of neat handwriting from top to bottom. "What's this? Is this yours?"

"Well, yeah. Let's just say it's my poor attempt at writing a novel." The ever confident Miss Rozenberg cast her a bashful smile, adorable almost, something she had rarely seen.

"I didn't know you were an aspiring writer."

Tina's gaze lowered and landed on the book. "It was a side hobby. I traveled a lot from place to place, so whenever I felt lonely or just overwhelmed I would channel those feelings into my..." Tina let her voice linger for a moment before she finished in one beat, "c_reative_ writing."

Candy could totally relate to what Tina was saying. She had been there herself, alone, engulfed in pitch-black darkness, feeling as though everyone she had cared for had turned their backs on her. Although unraveling her mind loose and pouring everything out, from her fear to her dream, into her journal had helped from time to time, it was the constant awareness of having someone nearby that had managed to diminish the dreadful feeling of loneliness. Undoubtedly, Albert had become a part of her normal life, and that must have imparted the assurance that she needn't have to worry about being alone—at least not until he finally recovered from his amnesia and decided to return to his vagabond days.

"Say Candy... " Tina grasped Candy's hand, blue eyes sparkling with determination, lips stretching wider and wider into a grin. "Read it. It would give rise to an awakening of some sort. You would thank me later."

Candy's cheeks grew warm as she could only imagine what Tina was alluding to. "Oh all right, Tina. I would do it. I'll read _since_ it's your writing. Nothing more."

Surely, it couldn't be that bad if Tina had written it. So she thought.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

A new story? What happened to Ninety Days Epilogue? Let me just say that I still stand by my word that I won't abandon any of my ongoing stories, but I don't want to ramble too much about that, so if you're interested you can read more about what's going on with Ninety Days (and other stories) in my profile and my wordpress.

Back to the story.

The rating for this fic may change to M in the future. Why the M rating you ask? Well as you can see even from the description, it's clear the fic will touch on a more mature theme than my other CC stories, brushing on controversial topics (well as controversial as it was during the era). But considering the policy on this site, despite the M rating, I will only post the 'tamed' version here, and if you're interested, you can read the full, non-censored version in AO3

It's going to be challenging to write, but I'm all up for the challenge. So I hope you'd find this entertaining at least.

As for the writing, I think I'll go with shorter chapter length instead of long ones, maintaining the word count to up to 2000. That way it'll be easier to read, and I can update faster. :D

Once again, thank you for taking the time to read this.

So what do you think? Is it worth reading? Should I continue? Let me know :D

Stay tuned for chapter 2

Till next time

**-forever-**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 already? Told you - I can update faster. Nothing much is happening yet though, but we'll get there. Honest. :D

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

**Acknowledgement: **Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement.

So without further ado, please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

by forever

**Chapter 2**

It was past six o'clock in the evening when Candy finally had some free time to read Tina's writing before Albert returned from work.

Her day at the clinic had been uneventful, leaving her with ample idle time, and with Tina's notebook at the forefront of her mind since the moment she had received it, she had been itching to slip it out of her bag and read its content but had decided against actually doing it since to be caught by Dr. Martin would've been terrible.

But now that she had the book right in front of her and she could begin to read it immediately, she only stared at it, as though it would pounce at her if she blinked.

No doubt, Candy was curious, but at the same time, she was anxious—she truly had no idea of what to expect. Tina had made it sound like it was one of those banned library books mentioned in the newspaper that had ignited an outrage among the older townspeople for the blatant exposition of lasciviousness. Although, Candy wouldn't consider herself a conservative, Tina was more progressive in her way of thinking than her, and there was a line Candy drew with respect to what she deemed acceptable as reading materials. She was thoroughly appalled by what she had caught in quite whispers and giggles among her former colleagues from St. Joanna Hospital. A torrid love affair involving one man and two women was beyond the realm of her imagination, and to read such an odious plot that freely celebrated debauchery would make her tremble with shame. She just hoped there was still enough healthy conscience in Tina that her friend would steer clear of using any moral-degrading device in her story.

Candy took a deep breath and flicked to the first page. Cautiously, almost hesitantly, she began to read, absorbing Tina's handwriting, one word at a time.

The first page was fine. There was no description of impropriety. So was the second and the third and the forth. In fact, she found the story to be rather engaging. And by the end of chapter one she found herself entirely immersed in the story, devouring paragraph by paragraph with vigorous tenacity, her initial apprehension long forgotten.

It didn't seem it would be _that _bad. There was nothing out of the ordinary. After all, the story was about a young woman of the same age as hers. What could be so strikingly different than what she had experienced so far in her life?

_A Summer to Remember_—that was the title. It was about a young American woman by the name of Annabelle Gatwick narrating her last year in a private all-girls boarding school somewhere in the outskirts of London. The familiar setting was what helped ease Candy into the storyline at the beginning of her reading, as she began reliving her own experience in St. Paul with Annie and Patty through Annabelle and her two close friends, Elizabeth Moore and Joanne Jenkins.

The second chapter opened with Elizabeth inviting Annabelle and Joanne to spend their summer holiday in her parents' summer cottage in Northern Yorkshire. Again, everything started normal, as normal as any decent novel she had previously read, and as normal as the time she, Annie, and Patty had attended the summer school in Scotland. But as Candy would soon find out, this was the part when the story began to take into a more interesting turn for Annabelle.

One day, as the three friends sat over a sprawling blanket in the meadow, having finished their packed lunch, Annabelle, enraptured by the surrounding forest, decided to take a stroll by herself. The quietest among the three women, she was always drawn to nature—her favorite thing to do at her home in America was to wander out of the estate's lush garden into the enchanting forest, searching for a perfect spot, where she could sit and scribble words into a poem.

So just as she had done in America, Annabelle scoured alongside the riverbed for that perfect spot, but instead of finding a place for her to sit down in solitude, she stumbled upon a group of rowdy men bathing in the river. In panic, she quickly threw herself behind the bush and hid there. Only once she heard the men leaving, she crawled out of the bush and stepped closer to the water edge, but as she hopped onto one of the huge boulders, a man burst out of the water, causing her to nearly lose her balance.

_I felt my heart drop. There was a man in the water. _

_The man regarded me silently with a dazed look and glanced around. _

_This would've been the perfect time for me to make my escape, but for a reason that I couldn't explain, I couldn't make my body move even an inch._

_"Miss! Could you please throw my claes to me?" the man asked, startling me out of my trance._

_I whirled around, intending to run back to the meadow as fast as my legs could take me, but that would've been an awful thing to do to anyone despite how inappropriate the situation might be. So I turned around to face him._

_"Miss? My claes, please."_

_"Claes?" I merely repeated the foreign word, having not a clue of what it meant._

_The man pointed his finger to an area to my right. I gazed around until I found a pile of what appeared to be clothes lying on the pebbles covered ground. I gathered the pile into my hands and showed it to the man. "By claes, you must mean these, sir?"_

_"Aye... Could you throw those my way, miss?"_

_I hesitated for a brief moment but then moved closer to the water. "Umm… Okay. Here you go." Mustering all my strength, I bit my lips and hurled the pile toward the man upon which he leaped forward, making a huge splash as he caught the pile of clothes with both hands, a second before they made a plunge into the water._

_"Thank you, miss." The man, holding the pile of clothes above his head, beamed at me, flashing his pearly white teeth. _

_I was about to reply but ended up swallowing a sudden lump in my throat when the man slowly rose from the water, brushing a hand over his slick hair and shaking his head from side-to-side, causing sparkling beads of water to fly all around him._

_Never had I laid my eyes upon such a marvelous sight. All my life, I had been fortunate to be lavished with many beautiful trinkets and gifts—but nothing had come even close to what stood in front of me. The feeling that was aroused couldn't be compared to what I had felt when I saw beautiful red roses blooming in mother's garden or when I unwrapped a gift father brought me from his business trip to Paris and found a beautiful dress. It was something foreign. It made my heart pound violently and my mouth dry. I was aware that it was absolutely improper for me to linger before a half naked man, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from the man's bare chest as it glistened under the sun. _

_The man suddenly laughed and said—_

"Is the book really _that_ good?"

Candy jumped in her seat and gazed right into an amused face of her roommate as he leaned forward toward her from the other side of the table. "Albert-you're back," she blurted out, a little too cheerfully to sound normal. "How long have you been home?"

"Long enough that I've been standing here for nearly a minute." He cocked an eyebrow and strained his neck, attempting to read the writings on the page of the notebook. "What are you reading? Must be something extremely spectacular for you to have completely disregarded your surroundings."

Slapping the book close with a slam of hand, Candy displayed her best sunny smile to Albert, who cast her a startled look and straightened to his full height. "Nothing exciting. Just a story Tina wrote—" She leaped to her feet. "Are you hungry? I'll have something prepared for you right away."

A grin gradually formed across Albert's lips. "You shouldn't need to trouble yourselves for tonight. Look!" He lifted a huge brown bag from the chair with one hand. "This pheasant would be enough to feed us for two straight days."

Candy gasped softly, raising a hand to cover her mouth. "Where did you get that from? It must have cost you a fortune."

"Not a penny. It was a gift from the manager at the zoo," Albert simply replied.

"Is that right? How generous of him!"

"Ummm... yeah." Albert rubbed at the back of his neck, one corner of his lips tilting upward but not quite into a half-smile. "He's a very nice man indeed." Then he abruptly added, "I'll prepare some mashed potatoes to accompany the grilled pheasant."

Candy shoved the book into her bag and followed Albert into the kitchen. She could continue her reading at a later time once Albert had gone to sleep. "I can help. I'll steam some green beans. We need to have a serving of vegetables too, you know, for a balanced healthy meal."

Chuckling, Albert leaned his back toward her, glancing over his shoulder, and tapped at her nose lightly with his index finger. "Yes, Nurse Candy."

Candy broke into small giggles. Tonight or any other night she had spent in the apartment would not have been as lively without Albert around, and somehow that made her think of Annabelle's story. Even though she hadn't chanced upon Albert bathing in the river during their first meeting in Lakewood, there had been a few accidental slip ups with their current living arrangement of sharing a room, when she had carelessly flung open the bathroom door only to find him still inside. Thank goodness in all instances he had been decent. But what would've happened if she were to find him fully undressed, without a single piece of cloth on his body?

It was then Candy realized the course of her thoughts and came to a halt in her track, staring at Albert's retreating back.

She hadn't just pictured herself walking in on a naked Albert, had she?

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

Mmmm... Candy is in trouble, isn't she? And she barely started reading the book. It shouldn't take her _ninety days_ to finish the book, don't you think? ;)

I hope you find this chapter entertaining because I certainly had fun writing it. The next one should be released soon. So stay tuned for that.

I do want to say something about AO3 that was mentioned in one of the comments. AO3 is an abbreviation of Archive of Our Own, which is a fanfiction hosting site similar to . If you're interested to check my dashboard on AO3, you can go to my profile (the link is there).

As always, many hugs and kisses for taking the time to read chapter 1 here or at AO3 (and all the faves, follows, and kudos). And I can't thank you enough for all the comments you took the time to write and post. I'm glad I've managed to intrigue you somewhat. I admit though that it's probably going to be another long and bumpy ride, but I will try my best to make it less painful so that you could stay for the entire duration.

Till next time

**-forever-**


	3. Chapter 3

Here you go, chapter 3, just in time for Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy this because, by golly, I was having so much fun writing this one.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

Shout out to everyone who has taken the time to read, faved, followed, and written comments.

_Ckati, candyfan72, Reeka21, Vivian, Charmichan, lcolina, and KeilaNt._ Thank you for your support! You're all the best!

Without further ado, please enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

by forever

**Chapter 3  
><strong>

Although it was quite the norm for the village residents to spend their weekend gathering in the town center, especially when the weather was pleasant—catching up with the town gossip mongers on the juiciest piece of news, basking in the early spring sun at the nearby park, or just dawdling in and out of the many shops lining the main street—it wasn't for either Candy or Albert. They both worked on Saturday and on most occasions, on Sunday too. There were a few times, when Dr. Martin would give Candy a day off or send her home at midday, but Albert would still be at work. So for the two of them to stroll down the main street on Saturday afternoon, blending in with other local residents, was a rare opportunity.

"Candy, would you mind waiting here?" Albert suddenly asked as they stood at the pedestrian crossing. "I just saw umm… a coworker of mine passing by. I need to ask him something. You're welcome to come with me, but I don't want to bore you with our talk about work."

"That's fine. I can…" Candy paused for a moment and sneaked a glance down at the bag hanging against her hip, thinking that this would be the perfect opportunity to resume reading Tina's story. The part at which she had been forced to stop her reading had left her imagination running wild, and she couldn't wait to finish reading that scene. "…browse around the shops."

As it turned out, she couldn't do any reading at all last night. Albert had remained in the living area for nearly the entire night, alternately writing and reading paper from the stack sitting in front of him. Of course, she couldn't have read Tina's story with him right next to her. Well, she could, but she wouldn't. If it had been a book she had borrowed from the library, she wouldn't have borne an ounce of qualm. She wasn't sure what he was working on but figured it was most likely something to do with his work and hadn't bothered to ask him more about that. Furthermore, she was too busy glancing at the wall clock while absently stroking Pouppe's coat, wondering whether Albert would retire to bed first or she would. It was neither. She couldn't recall what had truly happened. But she knew she must have fallen asleep somehow waiting for him, because when she had woken up in the morning, she found herself in his bed on the lower bunk, not hers. And most likely Albert had carried her to the bedroom since she didn't remember walking to her room or climbing into his bed.

"Shall we meet up back here in about an hour?" Albert suggested and quickly added, "and then we can go to the cafe by the park and you can order your favorite chocolate cake."

Her eyes widened as she noted how his smile had developed into an ear-to-ear grin. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged, shoving both hands into his coat's pockets. "It's been a while since we spent a day together, so why not do something fun while we have the chance?"

The last time they had done anything together that resembled fun was more than a month ago, and it wasn't even the kind of activity that they had planned. It happened when there had been an ominous blizzard that had practically buried the whole city with snow. Approximately five feet of snow had fallen in a span of a day, efficiently shutting down all means of transportation and communication. Suffice to say, she, Albert, along with the rest of the people who worked and lived in the greater Chicago area had been confined to their homes. Luckily, heeding the warning published in all the circulating newspaper, they had been well prepared and had stocked enough food and supplies that could sustain them for a week. The fun part began when they, together with other Magnolia Apartment residents, could finally push the main door open and dug their way out of the tons of snow. It had taken them hours before they could create a big enough tunnel that eventually led them out into the open air. Then left without nothing much to do, they had resorted to waste their time by playing in the snow.

"That's true…" She smiled. "All right, I'll see you back here in an hour."

Albert gave a quick nod in affirmation and crossed the street. Once Candy saw him round a corner of a building and disappear, she strode toward the park and noticed an empty wooden bench below a sycamore tree that began to sprout with green leaves, a perfect reading spot.

"Candy—"

The loud shout caused Candy to cease in mid step, and she whirled around to find a woman, pressing a gloved hand against the hat atop her head as she marched toward her, striking copper hair flying every which way with each determined step.

Recognizing the face in an instant, Candy frowned. She hadn't expected to see Tina at all, as her friend had told her that she would be busy today. "Tina, what—"

"Is that a man I saw you talking to earlier?" Tina asked bluntly, without bothering to greet Candy first.

"Huh?"

Tina huffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, quit acting clueless, Candy. I'm not blind, you know. Everyone with eyes could clearly see that you were conversing with someone. A man. A tall man with blond hair."

"Oh I got it," Candy exclaimed to which Tina didn't appear the least bit amused. "You must be talking about Albert."

"Albert?" Tina furrowed her brows and expired a sarcastic chuckle, both hands on her hips. "I couldn't believe you. I thought we're friend—when are you going to tell me you have a fine looking man as your gentleman friend?"

Candy felt her cheeks burn. "Goodness, Tina…" A few awkward chuckles escaped her mouth. "It's nothing like that. He... He…" She suddenly felt at a loss of what she should tell Tina, her eyes darting off to the side, avoiding Tina's insistent gaze, before she managed to utter in one breath, "He's my brother."

"Your brother? I don't remember you ever mentioned anything about a brother." Tina stepped closer to Candy and cast her an accusing look. "Candy… Are you deliberately hiding your brother from me?"

Candy's hands shot up, moving about in a placating gesture. "No, of course not. You got it wrong. It never came up in any of our conversation before."

A contemplative look flickered across Tina's face. "Well, when you put it that way—that's true. But now that he's here—you're going to _finally_ introduce me to your handsome brother, right Candice?" Tina implored, her grayish blue eyes sparkled with unrelenting glint.

There was no reason for Candy to refuse Tina whatsoever. It was normal to introduce her friends to Albert, as she had done in the past with her other friends, Archie, Annie, and the rest. She even had mentioned about Tina to Albert a couple of times—he knew Tina was her friend. So it was about time for Albert to meet Tina. But for some reason the picture of Tina sliding closer to Albert and batting her eyelashes at him didn't bode so well for her.

"Umm... Sure. Why not? I mean he would be..." Candy stiffened as she caught sight of a familiar man dressed in an impeccable black coat crossing from the opposite side of the street and moving in their direction. "Is that…"

Tina turned to glance over her shoulder. "Huh? What are you looking at?"

Disregarding Tina's question, Candy jogged toward the crossing, just when the man stepped onto the sidewalk.

"George—"

"Miss Candice!" The man twirled halfway to a stop, his dark beady eyes wide with shock.

Candy approached him with three long strides. "This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here? Is Uncle William here too?" She craned her neck, turning her head from side-to-side. Surely, she had not expected to meet Uncle William today of all days, but if it would happen today, she would be more than ecstatic. This had been her wish for a long while.

"Hello… Who may this be?" Candy felt a tap against her shoulder, prompting her to turn to her side where Tina stood with a smile that appeared a tad too friendly. "Candy—I can't believe you that you've been hiding all these fine looking fellows from me," Tina whispered through her smiling lips, her blue eyes affixed to George.

"Tina—he's Uncle William's personal assistant," Candy whispered back a reproach behind a hand-covered mouth.

"Uncle who? Never heard of him." Tina stepped forward and stretched a gloved hand toward George, her lips curving in a flirtatious smile that Candy had to restrain herself from cringing with embarrassment. "Hi, I'm Tina, Candy's friend."

George appeared unsure of what to do before he took Tina's hand and shook it; all the while, Candy nearly broke into a laughter seeing Tina stare at her and George's linked hands with bewilderment. "George Johnson. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Tina."

But Tina recovered quickly, and pulling her hand out George's grasp, she smiled sweetly. "Likewise, Mr. Johnson."

Without allowing Tina to further make a fool out of herself, Candy jumped in, "I don't know where has Albert run off to. He said something about meeting a colleague from work. But this is great, George. I can finally introduce you to him."

"Yeah I'm _dying_ to meet this Albert too," Tina chimed in, sending a glare toward Candy, her tone dripping with sarcasm, but Candy just ignored her, looking expectantly at George.

Faint creases formed across George's forehead. "Albert, Miss Candice?"

Candy's smile grew wider. "Yes... You want to meet him, don't you?"

George stared at her with a partly opened mouth, as though he wanted to ask something, but no question emerged from his mouth. Instead he said, "If he is your friend, then I would be more than happy to make his acquaintance."

"Well…" Tina drawled, looking visibly nettled as she fanned her face using her hand. "I'm sorry to interrupt this nice little chitchat, but rather than baking in the sun, letting our skin burn to crisp, why don't we continue this in the small coffee shop down the street?"

Tina was obviously exaggerating. While it was bright and sunny outside, it wasn't nearly as sweltering as Tina had claimed, not even close. On the contrary, the persistent breeze blew frigid air, and Candy wouldn't mind having a little bit of heat from the sunlight on her face. But sitting inside a cozy cafe while sipping a cup of hot tea sounded ten times nicer than standing on the crowded sidewalk. "That's a great idea, Tina. As a matter of fact, Albert and I are planning to go there later, but it would be no trouble at all if we go now."

"Fabulous! Your uncle can join us too, if he wants, Candy." Tina suggested lightly. "The more the merrier."

"Uncle William is not really my uncle," Candy corrected in a soft mutter and then added, "and I'm not sure he would want to join us." Candy shifted her focus to George, but from the three of them, it didn't look like he embraced the idea of lounging in the coffee shop as warmly. "But you will, right George? You have to try the chocolate cake they serve at the cafe. It's really good."

"But Miss Candice—"

"Now… now… now, Mr. Johnson," Tina cut in, wagging her index finger at George, and then slunk to position herself next to him. One of her gloved hands grazed over the lapels of his coat, as she appeared to be preoccupied brushing invisible lint off the pristine black fabric. "A fine gentleman wouldn't want to disappoint two lovely ladies, wouldn't you think so?" George threw a pleading glance at Candy, but she could only offer George a sheepish smile in return while Tina boldly wound an arm around his elbow. "Shall we, Mr. Johnson?" Tina tugged a reluctant George along, and Candy followed right behind them, giggling slightly at Tina's antics.

Seeing Tina and George walking next to each other, Candy couldn't help but sigh in admiration at how tall Tina really was; she was about George's height, which meant she was also about as tall as Albert. And that made her think of what would happen later once the two of them met. She could easily imagine how would Tina react—her friend would be all over Albert in seconds, just as she had with George. But what about Albert? Would he find Tina appealing?

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

Oh my! A tea party with Uncle William, Albert, George, and Tina? Who would want to miss that? That would be one heck of a tea party for sure. Poor George. Would he be able to survive that?

And what happened with the book? Oh well, it appears that Candy has forgotten about it as she's too busy thinking about Albert and Tina. Besides, she can always continue reading it after the tea party. It'll be more exciting then. ;)

So what do you think of the story so far? I'm moving fast, aren't I?

Umm yeah... Like I mentioned earlier, it's going to be a long ride - so it is. But that doesn't mean it would be a boring and slow one. Because if you know me, I love sudden twists, drops, and turns. :evil cackles:

I really like playing with this new style I'm using. I can adjust the pace however I want, and I'll surely do that. You can bet on it. So don't be surprised if the pace suddenly drops to a near stop.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read the story. Many hugs and kisses for the kudos, faves, follows, and comments. I truly am grateful for all your support and encouragement. I will continue to do my best to deliver an entertaining chapter.

So stay tuned for chapter 4

And before I forget, to all my readers in the US:

**Happy Thanksgiving!**

**Wishing you a blessed and wonderful time celebrating with your friends and family.**

Till next time

**-forever-**


	4. Chapter 4

A midweek treat for anyone who has been waiting for the new chapter. I hope you enjoy this.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

**Acknowledgement: **Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. And thank you for the warm welcome back. It sure feels good to be back, and I'll try my best to continue delivering an entertaining story.

Shout out to _lcolina, Josie, kellyelin, KeilaNt, Ckati_ and _CandyFan72_. Thank you for your reviews 3

Without further ado, please enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

By forever

**Chapter 4**

The walk to the coffee shop should've been a short one, but navigating through the horde of people that milled about the sidewalk without bumping elbows with them required savvy maneuvering skill, and subsequently it doubled the amount of time needed to reach the destination.

And this was one of those times Candy wished she were a taller woman with longer legs, so she didn't have to march in rapid giant steps just to keep up with the taller people in front of her, namely Tina and George. The two of them hadn't bothered to spare a glance over their shoulders to check on Candy, seemingly too busy with whatever they were engaged in. George, with his arm chained to Tina's, had no choice but to keep his focus on Tina as she kept on babbling excitedly. At a glance, the two certainly made an interesting pair, like an over eager wife dragging her unwilling, home-loving husband out for a day of shopping in the town.

As they crossed the street, Candy, noting how the distance separating her and Tina and George had widened considerably, with a few passersby obstructing her path in-between, quickened her pace. But upon reaching a newsstand at the corner of the street, her speed gradually dropped; her gaze fell on the rows of circulations displayed against the wooden wall shelves.

Since her return from New York, Candy had stopped her impulsive habit of buying newspapers and magazines whenever there had been an article about Terry featured in it. The last time she had read about him was a few months back, and it wasn't a glowing review on his performance neither it was a glittering article on his rise to stardom. On the contrary, it was a rather disturbing news of what was perceived to be his downward spiral into depression that had ultimately led to his disappearance. She couldn't deny that she indeed had worried about Terry, if the horrible incident involving the despicable Neil Leagan was any indication, but somehow her worry had not materialized into her rushing to search for Terry, which would be something she would do in a heartbeat had this occurred two years ago.

Perhaps she realized there was nothing she could do. Perhaps she had truly moved on from him. Perhaps she finally accepted the hard-to-swallow truth that Terry and her was never meant to be.

Taking a deep breath, Candy scanned the bold headline printed on the front page of the weekend edition of Chicago Daily News, and as soon as she finished reading the first line, she heard Tina hollering at her.

"Candy—are you coming?"

Candy took a step back from the shelves. Seeing that Tina and George were waiting for her, standing in front of a shop a few feet ahead, she leaped to a small run toward them.

"Sorry... " Candy gave them a sheepish smile.

Tina just rolled her eyes at Candy, and they resumed their walk. This time Tina made sure Candy was next to her.

A short while later, the three of them entered the coffee shop and were immediately ushered in to their table in the middle of the room.

Candy laid the menu face up in front of her on the table. She knew what she wanted, but Tina didn't seem to care about ordering as her friend was more interested in talking with George. Actually, it was more like Tina badgering George, asking him various questions that Candy thought was way too personal, such as his marriage status and his age, but he didn't seem to mind and answered each question calmly in his monotonous voice. However, he was left speechless when Tina questioned him whether he had ever visited a brothel. Thinking that Tina had gone out of line, Candy quickly interrupted and reminded them that they should order something before they were kicked out of the coffee shop. Tina threw a suspicious glance at Candy but begrudgingly agreed.

As they perused the menu, Tina suddenly let out a long exasperated sigh and muttered, "Bloody—I've completely forgotten I have to meet someone in the city." She looked at them with frustration clearly displayed on her face. "I'm sorry for having to bail out on our small gathering, but I simply cannot afford to miss this. He's helping to set up a job interview for me. You two please go on without me." Then she snapped her gaze to Candy. "And Candy—don't think I would let you go free. Whether you like it or not, you _will_ introduce your brother to me soon."

"Tina—you're looking for a job?" Candy asked, brushing aside Tina's threatening glare. This was the first time Tina showed any interest in obtaining a job. Tina once told her she hadn't resolved for how long she would remain in Chicago. It could be only for another month. It could be a few months. But with Tina holding an employment, it could only mean she would stay longer.

Tina's expression softened and a smile curved her lips. "Yes, I'll tell you all about it, once I get it. Well, I have to run now." Tina rose from her seat and brushed a hand over the wrinkles on her long gray skirt. Only then Candy noted the attire assemble Tina wore today, a full length skirt with a tailored suit jacket. Tina dressed much nicer, if not more conservative, than all the other time she had ever seen her.

"And Mr. Johnson, it was nice talking to you." Tina smiled at George upon which he only gave her a weak nod in response. Then she walked away, waving her hand at them.

"I wasn't aware you had a brother, Miss Candice," George commented a few moments later after Tina had left.

Candy stiffened, fingers clutching at the menu in a near desperate grip, crumpling the edges slightly. "Well, you see... I don't… I mean I…" her voice trailed off. She had no idea how to explain about Albert to George without sounding like she had been hiding a man in her apartment. The issue hadn't crossed her mind when she had enthused to George about her intention to introduce him to Albert.

"Please don't feel obligated to give an explanation, Miss Candice," George assured, regarding her with a steady gaze. "I'm sorry for making that remark. I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't my place."

Now she just felt awful. "Oh, no, it's perfectly all right... I—"

"So here you are, Candy." A voice, piercing through the noises from inside the cafe, called all of a sudden, and Candy saw Albert a few feet ahead advancing toward them. "I've been looking all over for you. I thought we agreed—" Albert halted a step away from the table, his gaze on George's back. "I see you have company."

Candy rushed out of her seat and stood next to Albert while George rose to his feet slowly and turned to face them.

"Albert—I'm so glad you're here. I would like you to meet George. He's Uncle William's personal assistant."

For a second, Candy thought she saw surprise and confusion float across George's face as he stared at Albert, but she quickly dismissed it as nothing when Albert, taking the initiative, stepped closer and offered his hand to George, a friendly smile on his face. "Hi, I'm Albert."

Instead of responding, George kept staring at Albert, as if he had not seen Albert's proffered hand, before he abruptly grabbed Albert's hand. "George Johnson," he stated, still appearing distraught as he shook Albert's hand.

"Nice to meet you, George."

Again, George seemed to be having trouble deciding how he should reply to such a simple remark, and it took him more than a few seconds to finally produce a response, "Yes, sir—I mean likewise."

Well, this was interesting, if not weird. It was the total opposite of how Candy had pictured the meeting between George and Albert would enfold. She had expected George to receive Albert in a more respectful, cordial manner, as he had demonstrated with Tina earlier in spite of Tina's improper advances and frivolous questionnaire. Instead George had clammed up, acting a bit standoffish—maybe even anxious to an extent, and that baffled Candy to no end. As far as she could remember from her interactions with George in the past, she had never seen him lose his poise even at times of crisis. She couldn't shake off the feelings that George, for whatever reason, didn't want to be here.

"Miss Candice—I think I should leave now."

Candy looked at George with disbelief, having her suspicion confirmed almost right after she had pondered about it. She couldn't believe she was right. George _really_ didn't want to be here, and that just didn't make sense to her. Was it really because of Albert? She glanced at Albert then back at George. "Now? Why so soon? We haven't ordered our food yet. You must try the chocolate cake here first before you leave. It's the best."

Albert placed a hand over Candy's shoulder lightly. "Candy—George is probably busy. We shouldn't interfere with his duty." Albert's tone sounded sterner than normal to Candy's ears despite the smile that still adorned his lips.

"Oh right… " Candy gave George an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, George. Uncle William is probably looking for you. Well, I'm glad at least you had the chance to finally meet Albert. Please send my regards to Uncle William. And if he is upset with you, then just tell him it's my fault."

George's gaze darted to Albert and lingered there for a moment before traveling back to her. "Uhhh... mmm sure... I would be sure to pass your regards to him, when I—the next time I see him. Well, see you, Miss Candice, and... Uhmmm... Sir." He nodded at Albert slightly.

Candy was sure now that George was probably feeling unwell today, which would explain him acting weird, and she was about to suggest him to take some rest when Albert patted George's arm lightly and said, "I'll walk with you, George. I have some questions I want to ask you about this naughty girl." Albert gestured at her with his thumb.

"WHAT!" Candy's face contorted into an irritated scowl as she felt a sudden regret for introducing Albert to George. "Then I probably should come along too."

Albert laughed and draped an arm over Candy's shoulder, coaxing Candy back to her seat. "I was just kidding, Candy. Why don't you order a few snacks for us? Feel free to order anything you want—it'll be my treat." He picked up the menu from the table and handed it to Candy.

Candy regarded Albert with a skeptical look as she held the menu in her hand. For some reason, she felt Albert was not being straightforward with her, but she refrained from voicing her thought. Besides, she would rather enjoy a peaceful time eating her favorite cake than having to bicker with Albert over a trivial matter. "Anything?"

"Yep," Albert merely affirmed with a grin.

"Well, then, I shouldn't hesitate anymore. Don't you worry. I'll make sure to order _anything_." She waved the menu at Albert to punctuate her point as he and George began to make their ways out of the coffee shop. Albert threw her one quick smile before the door swung shut behind him.

What supposed to take a few minutes at the most turned to more than ten minutes and then to fifteen minutes, and Candy soon found herself riling with impatience as she took another bite of her chocolate cake, counting the seconds since she had seen Albert walk out with George.

All her orders of four slices of different kinds of cakes, a bowl of caramel-ginger candies, and a pot of chamomile tea had been delivered and laid out on the table, and the tea had probably become cold by now. Yet Albert still had not returned. What could he possibly be discussing with George? The two men didn't even know each other that well—she had just introduced them not too long ago, and George had acted so uneasy around Albert, as though Albert was someone he would rather not associate with. But this was supposed to be their first meeting—unless George had seen Albert before. Candy couldn't dismiss that the possibility was there. When she had met Albert, he had been wandering about in the Lakewood Estate, so there was a chance George could have spotted him as well. And then there was London, where both of them had been there also around the same time—not that she had seen them together, but it opened up another possibility. She should prod George more the next time she saw him.

"So? What have you ordered?" Albert's voice suddenly reached her ears followed by the grating sound of the bottom of the chair leg scrapping the wooden floor. "Plenty of sweets to give us sugar rush that can last until Monday morning, I presume?"

Candy spun her head sideways, unaware of how close Albert was sitting until she found herself nose-to-nose with him, the blue in his eyes, reminding her of the color of the sky when the sun shone brightly without a wisp of cloud in sight. It was one of the prettiest color of blue she had ever seen. "Umm... yeah..." she mumbled, her eyes scanning his face as she noted how soft the pale skin seemed, that she felt a sudden pull to run her fingers over it and sweep away the strands of blond hair that veiled his forehead.

Albert was not a bad looking man at all. In fact, he was quite a handsome fellow, just as Tina had claimed.

"Candy—is there something wrong with my face?"

Candy yanked herself away from Albert in an instant.

"If I didn't know any better I would say you, miss, were quite mesmerized by my utter handsomeness," Albert remarked, propping his chin on his hand, his lips twisting with hints of mischief, his gaze penetrating.

Candy swiftly bowed her head and stared at her half eaten chocolate cake. "Don't be ridiculous. I wasn't. I was just thinking about something. That's all. It has nothing to do with you," she muttered, her cheeks searing, her heart racing as a stream of deep chuckles rumbled in her ears. "Where have you been anyway?" she retorted with a pout. "What were you asking George about me? You took so long. I was going to finish all the food and leave you nothing."

Albert gave Candy an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry... I saw this." He placed a pristine brown leather bound journal on the table. "I thought you might like it."

Candy's eyes widened with realization as she picked up the journal, holding it against her chest. It was the item that had caught her eyes the second they had stepped into the stationery store, their last stop before he had left her to talk to his associate from work. "How do you know? I debated whether I should buy it, but I thought it was too much."

Albert chuckled. "You were not exactly being discreet about it. You were cradling it and putting it back on the table and grabbing it again and—"

"All right, I got your point," Candy interjected quickly and unable to contain her joy any longer, she smiled. "Thank you... You shouldn't have, you know. But thank you."

"You're most welcome, Candy." Albert returned Candy's smile with a grin, but a flash of concern wiped away any sign of glee from his face. "So are you still mad at me?"

Candy studied Albert's face in silence, wondering if she should ask him whether he recognized George from anywhere, but decided she could ask him later. "If you promise you'll keep buying me stuff for every offense you make. Then no, I'm not."

Another chuckle broke out of Albert's mouth. "A nice proposition but I'm afraid I must reject. Otherwise, I would be penniless by the end of the day." He contorted his face in an exaggerated pitiful look, causing Candy to roll her eyes and then erupt into quiet giggles.

Candy heaved a soft sigh and put the journal back on the table, a smile of gratitude forming on her lips as her eyes sought Albert's. "Thank you, Albert... Really, thank you for this." Her gaze drifted to the journal briefly. "I wish I could give you something in return. What do you want? I could try to get it for you as long as it's not too expensive."

Albert's expression turned thoughtful for a moment before he leaned closer toward Candy, his gaze, intense and deep, locking with hers. "Do you know what I really want?" His voice sank to a near whisper.

Candy swallowed and shook her head mechanically, suddenly having trouble talking.

"I want your..." Albert's face inched closer still, that Candy could feel his warmth breath fanning against her face, and for a reason she couldn't explain, she found herself eyeing his lips—his lips that was only a hair's breadth away, his lips that parted slightly and looked smooth and soft.

"Chocolate cake," Albert blurted the last two words aloud in one beat, snatching the plate of chocolate cake under Candy's stunned gaze.

Candy blinked, staring at Albert, who seemed to pay no heed to her as he cut a small piece of chocolate cake with his fork and brought it to his mouth.

What had just happened?

Had she thought Albert was about to kiss her?

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

Oops. I barreled past the 2000 word limit. Oh well, I hope you don't mind the slightly longer chapter.

Looks like Candy is having a lot of mind battles already, and she's still stuck on chapter 2 of the book. At this rate, she might not even need the book anymore.

As for Albert, let's just say he's a very smart man. Also, can you tell whether he has fully regained his memory or not? There were hints in the previous chapters, but it should be clear in this one. Is it clear to you now, KeilaNt?

Poor George. He nearly has a nervous breakdown, and yes, he is an important character (he's in the character list).

And what is Tina up to?

One brownie point for kellyelin. You know me so well. Tina will meet Albert, I can tell you that, but not in this chapter. :D

Speaking of brownie point, let's play a game. Every time you make a right guess on what's going to happen in the next chapter, you'll earn 1 brownie point. With each brownie point you can ask me any question related to the story (or other stories) and I will give you an answer. How's that?

So kellyelin since you have one brownie point, you're free to ask me one question.

Lastly, I'll try my best to keep a regular update schedule. Most likely it will be weekly.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read the story, and please don't hesitate to let me know should you spot any mistake.

Many hugs and kisses for the kudos, faves, follows, and comments.

Stay tuned for chapter 5

Till next time

**-forever-**


	5. Chapter 5

Here it is, a new chapter. Hope you enjoy this one!

Before you proceed

Please note: mature theme ahead but not as bad that it should warrant a higher rating. But please let me know if I should change the rating.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

**Acknowledgement: **Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. And thank you for the warm welcome back. It sure feels good to be back, and I'll try my best to continue delivering an entertaining story.

Shout out to _lenniee, Josie, kellyelin, KeilaNt, Ckati, Charmichan, lyricCinema, and Reeka21_. Thank for taking the time to write reviews.

Without further ado, please enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

By forever

**Chapter 5  
><strong>

_"__They liked your sample manuscript, Tina. And they agreed you've fulfilled all the requirements listed. But they don't think you are the most appropriate candidate for the position. I'm sorry."_

Same old stories. Different time and place. But the message was always the same. She was good but never good enough.

So much for having the skill—if it was even accurate to describe it as such. Clearly, the people at The Chicago Examiner hadn't believed she had one. Perhaps she should have listened to her brother and returned home. It didn't look like she would achieve anything in this lifetime.

Tina took a long drag off her cigarette and blew the puff of white smoke through her pursed lips, the hat that had once adorned her head lying next to her on the concrete sidewalk at the corner of a narrow alley flanked between two tall buildings. The dark corner had been her place of refuge for the past hour or so, as she had wallowed in the misery of having to face yet another disappointment and failure. It was barely past six o'clock in the evening but the thick mass of clouds had soaked the vibrant dusk, leaving the sky draped in somber gray, as drab as her current mood.

"Miss Tina—"

Her head whipped in the direction of the familiar deep voice, and she blinked upon finding a dark haired man standing under the streetlamp, watching her with something akin to surprise on his face. Her lips stretched into a smile. She hadn't expected to see anyone, let alone someone who would know her by name, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have company during one of her darkest days. The man appeared harmless enough. "Oh hi, George. Come sit with me." She patted at the empty spot next to her.

George seemed to deliberate for a moment before he eventually walked toward her but instead of sitting down, he remained standing a few feet away from her. "I presume your meeting didn't go so well? Were you able to make it on time?"

Tina smirked. "I didn't know you were interested in my personal affair, George."

"I didn't know you could develop a smoking habit within a day either, Miss Tina," George replied immediately, his voice calm and even, dark gaze fastened on the lit cigarette gripped between her fingers.

A jarring laughter rang out of Tina's mouth. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, George." Tina raised the cigarette to her mouth but it was yanked out of her fingers before it could even touch her lips.

Jumping to her feet, Tina glared at George as he threw the cigarette on the ground and used the sole of his shoe to crush it into a flattened tobacco mess. "Bloody-hell! Why did you do that for?!"

George just looked at her calmly, as though he hadn't done anything wrong. "Miss Candice would be very upset if she saw her friend routinely engaging in something foolish."

"Candy?" Tina's gaze drifted aimlessly as an image of her friend smiling with a childlike glee flashed in her mind. "She's such a darling, isn't she George?" Tina remarked wryly, lowering herself to settle back onto the concrete sidewalk. "Everyone seems to be fond of her. Dr. Martin… You certainly do, and her Uncle William must have adored her very much as well. Then there's her brother Albert, whom I haven't met, but I bet he dotes on her a lot. Well, hell, I like her a lot too." She heaved a long sigh, a wistful smile curving her lips. "If only I could be more like her... Maybe I would be loved and adored more." Her voice faded, drowned by the sound of moving vehicles and car horns.

When Tina had first seen Candy in the clinic, two days after she had arrived in Chicago, she hadn't expected she would bother to befriend the pretty nurse with sunny disposition. Candy had the things she had always wanted but would never have; blond hair and petite figure—any man would prefer those over the dull red mop on her head and her too tall of a figure. She recalled how her male colleagues had shied away from asking her to dance in a party, and it had been Claude who had eventually come to rescue her from the utter embarrassment of having to stand like a piece of a marble statue while other women of her age, all blond and petite, were merrily twirling with their partners on the dance floor.

But contrary to the opinion she had established based on her observation of most petite blond she had interacted with in the past, Candy was different. She wasn't like the empty-headed, pretty dolls, who seemed to attract the entire male student population in her school or like the conniving, two-faced witch who had stolen her darling Erwin. Candy might be a tad naive and too gullible at times but certainly not dumb. Those innocent traits, though they could occasionally make her roll her eyes with frustration, were rather amusing. But it was Candy's compassionate heart that truly drew her in, something she knew she would never be capable of nurturing herself.

"Miss Candice is Miss Candice. You are you, Miss Tina. Miss Candice is blessed with her set of good qualities, and I'm sure you have yours as well," George monotonous voice dispelled the silence between them, prompting Tina to direct her attention to him. "And, frankly, I don't think you would still wish to be in Miss Candice's shoes if you were aware of all the misfortunes that had befallen her."

Tina kept mum, absorbing what George had just told her. She felt both disappointed and guilty. True, Candy and her were friends. But, clearly, there were still a lot of things she didn't know about Candy—she wasn't even aware Candy had a brother until today, neither had she ever guessed Candy could have belonged to an elite family. Yet at the same time, she hadn't been as honest with Candy either. While she had enthusiastically shared with Candy the abbreviated version of her life story, how she had moved from place to place, Candy didn't know the _real_ reason why she was in Chicago, or that Martina Rozenberg was nothing like the confident and winsome woman Candy believed she was, or that she wasn't even a Rozenberg.

Ironically, the one person who had caught a glimpse of her real miserable self was a man that was practically a stranger, whom she had just met a few hours ago.

"To be fair, I've gone through a lot as well, but I don't know if any of my experience constitutes a misfortune—a curse would be more accurate. Anyway, who cares about that trivial matters?" Tina waved a hand in a dismissive gesture and brought her gaze back to the dingy red bricks lining the building in front of her. "How about you, George? Have you ever wished you were someone else? Aren't you tired playing old man William's bodyguard?" She propped herself with both hands planted on the concrete floor and leaned back, chin tipped high up as she looked at George.

"For your information, I'm not a bodyguard and neither Master William is an old man."

Tina's eyebrow rose at George's quick retort. His voice sounded normal, but Tina could detect irritation lurking beneath it.

"It was never a choice," George continued. "If anything, I considered it a true privilege to be able to serve his family. And no, Miss Tina. I'm fine to be my own self. I wouldn't like to be anyone else. I'm quite content assuming my own role as George Johnson."

Tina stayed quiet for a moment and then roared into laughter. Pulling her legs in and then folding them over the other, she pivoted on her seat so that she sat facing George. "Oh George, you're so funny. Everyone in the world aspire to be someone greater. But you? You're quite content living your life playing a measly role as someone's attendant? Don't be ridiculous. That's rather pitiful, I must say. Did you owe your life to your Master William or something?" she taunted, her eyes scrutinizing George's face for any nuanced reaction, but she found nothing, not even a subtle twitch. The man possessed an amazing self control.

"Miss Tina, do you still need a job?"

George's question caught Tina off guard, not because he had just completely brushed aside her hurtful jabs without batting an eye. Rather, it was because she hadn't anticipated he would probe more about the bloody job. It wasn't a topic she was eager to discuss with anyone, not right at this moment when the wound was still raw and bleeding.

"You know George... The funny thing is: I don't really need to work. I do want to have a job, but I don't need it. Am I crazy?" Tina scoffed at herself, averting her gaze from him. "It's not for money. I have plenty. My brother makes sure I have sufficient funds every month to cover all my needs."

It wasn't a lie. She had long given up attempting to return the money back to Claude. Her brother, who could be irrationally overprotective at times, was one stubborn man. He wouldn't yield. The last time she had tried to fight him, he had ended up sending his personal attendant to her, and the stout man, who talked as though he had fishbone stuck in his throat, wouldn't leave her alone until she had finally acquiesced.

"Then, if you don't mind me asking, why do you need a job?"

"My! Aren't you a bit talkative now George?" Tina sneered. "I don't remember you spoke more than a few words when we were at the coffee shop. Do you usually become chirpy at night?"

"Forgive my rudeness... But you were not exactly a tetchy feline licking her wound either."

At first, Tina could only stare fixedly at George with mouth slightly ajar before bursting into fits of vigorous laughter that caused her to shed some tears. "Gods, George... I must give it to you—you play sarcasm rather well." Using the tip of her middle finger, she flicked at the tear clinging at the corner of her eye. "You would make a fine lawyer and thrive in the courtroom. I think I'm beginning to like you even more now. I'm glad we have this stimulating chat. We should hang out more often. Maybe next time we should meet in the bar. I wonder if you'd be as perky as Candy when you're inebriated."

Deliberately ignoring Tina's crude quip, George said, "If you still wish to have a job and the line of work is a matter of less importance to you. You can go to a flower shop in downtown Libertyville. Just inform the owner that George Johnson has sent you."

"An old lady friend of yours owns the place, George?" Tina threw George a sly smile, but when she discerned the faint wrinkles on his brows, she swiftly supplied, "I'm kidding—you don't need to give me the evil eye." A grateful smile bloomed across her lips. "Thank you for your kind offer, George… I'll consider it."

George didn't reply, and Tina also refrained from making another comment. She figured she must have exhausted the man, making him spit out more words than he would normally utter in a day.

"Come, Miss Tina," George suddenly said, prompting Tina to look up at him. She could hardly believe her eyes. There was a smile on his face—maybe it was a smirk. It was faint, really faint, nearly imperceptible hidden behind his thick dark mustache, but she knew it was there. "I could drop you off at the train station. This area is not safe at night."

Tina tilted her head back. The sky had darkened into menacing black swirls with no stars or moon in sight—a sure sign that rain was imminent.

Propelling herself off the sidewalk, Tina stood next to George. "Aye, Mr. Johnson. You're actually not bad at all despite your austere look." She inclined her head toward him, eyes leisurely scanning his face while George seemingly struggled hard not to flinch at the proximity. "But you should smile once in a while, you know. It'll do you good. Perhaps you could even get lucky with the ladies?" One of her brows rose in an impish arch.

Heaving a loud sigh, George stepped back and turned on his heel, walking away from her, without sparing a glance.

"Wait George! You're not actually mad, are you?" Tina yelled.

But George didn't slow down his brisk pace, so Tina scrambled to retrieve her hat and scurried after him. "Would it be all right?" She took one long stride to catch up to his side. "I mean are you sure your Master William will not be looking for you?"

"Sir William will not be needing my assistance tonight."

"I see… He must be busy pleasing the lady of the house then."

George broke into a coughing fit.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Tina quirked a brow at him.

"I didn't say that—"

The fading echo of Tina's laughter rippled across the quiet alley as the unlikely pair continued their advance toward the livelier part of the block that were bustling with early evening rush hour traffic of cars and people alike.

*********ccccccc*********

With Tina's notebook tucked securely between her arm and chest, Candy held her breath and tiptoed barefoot out of the dark bedroom, pulling the door close as gingerly as possible. One hand grasped onto the doorknob, holding it in a tight grip. Only once a muted click filled her ears, she released the knob.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

Earlier, as she lied on the bed facing the ceiling, she had already given up on the idea that she would be able to read Tina's book tonight and had resolved to try again tomorrow. Albert had been outside in the living room working on something as he had done on the previous night. But after about an hour or so, he entered the room and went to bed straightaway. He must have been exhausted because only a few minutes after that, she could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing mixed with occasional soft snores, but she had waited for another five minutes before she was absolutely sure that he was sound asleep. Climbing down the wooden ladder from the top bunk to the floor without making any noises in the dark had been challenging—near to impossible. Every time she took a step the wood creaked aloud, and she stiffened, anticipating Albert to call her—he never did, only Pouppe emitted a muffled screech in surprise before going back to sleep without further fussing.

And now here she was in the dark living room.

With careful steps, Candy plodded to the table in the middle of the room and dropped the book on top, hands reaching for an oil lamp and a small matchbox next to it that sat on one corner of the table. Soon, the flame burst alive, and a stream of light poured out of the glass chimney, casting the room with gentle amber glow. She swiftly slid into the chair and laid the book open in front of her, thumbing impatiently to the page she had last read.

At last, she could continue her reading, and once she began, it didn't take long at all for her to completely lose herself in Annabelle's story, turning page after page with an eagerness that made her nearly tear the paper.

The more she read the deeper she was submerged into the story.

Candy sighed, gulped, gasped, muttered, and giggled, as though she was Annabelle—becoming Annabelle, living Annabelle's life, feeling Annabelle's excitement, fear, surprise, anger, and joy. She laughed freely along with Annabelle at Joanne's crazy antics of nearly setting the table inside the parlor on fire. She felt deep anguish when Annabelle received the news that her mother had fallen gravely ill. Then when Annabelle earnestly confessed to herself that she had fallen deeply in love with the handsome Ian McHenry, the bathing Scotsman she had stumbled upon in the woods, Candy found herself longing for the very same man with hair as bright as the golden sun and eyes as blue as the sparkling clear ocean in the tropics.

She could feel herself reeling with giddy anticipation until the handsome Scotsman finally gave Annabelle's her first kiss in the rain. And she shouted along with Annabelle in jubilation.

_He kissed me long and deep._

_He kissed me until I became breathless._

_He kissed me until I could feel the ground no more._

Candy sighed in wistfulness. She craved for the passionate kiss Annabelle received from the Scotsman, the _real_ passionate kiss she never had.

With each paragraph, as Annabelle fell deeper in love, so did Candy yearn more for a man like Ian McHenry. She wondered if she would ever be as lucky as Annabelle and found her true love one day.

Then somewhere in the middle of chapter five, Candy felt her heart thump, accelerating at each passage read. Her breathing ragged, cheeks burning, she squirmed in her chair, crossing and uncrossing her legs, as words and the conjured images those words generated swam in her head. Her body hummed with weird, funny sensations she couldn't describe in words.

_His kisses tasted like honey, that I could never stop wanting for more. But it was his tongue I couldn't live without. It made my body tingle with pleasure I never knew existed._

_ His fingers, slender yet sturdy, drew invisible patterns over my skin. I held my breath and bit my lips hard as he pulled on the strings that held my chemise. The flimsy fabric fell limp down to my waist. I felt the cold breeze brushing over my bare chest. The cold was short lived, for I soon felt myself feverish when he molded my breasts against his palms and laid gentle kisses behind my ear, down to my neck, past my collarbone, and farther down still. I exhaled sharply, waiting, anticipating. And finally a vigorous sound burst out my lips when his lips, moist and warm, gently kissed the pert peaks on my breasts, right and left.  
><em>

Another page was turned, a loud gasp, and Candy suddenly hurled the book across the room. The scene was replayed in vivid details over and over. Her mind scrambled to understand what her body was saying.

The word scandalous came to mind.

Yet there was no intercourse.

But it wasn't just a kiss either. It was definitely more than a kiss, so much much more. There was kissing but not the kind she knew. A kiss on the lips was just the beginning. And then there was touching. Lots and lots of touching. Clothes were treated as nuisance as being completely naked became a necessity. Touching and kissing only intensified once every piece of clothing was discarded. Every inch of skin was explored, felt, and tasted. Nothing was spared.

Still, there was no intercourse. But bliss was clearly displayed on their faces, in their voices.

It took Candy more than a minute to regain her composure and another one whole minute of intense staring before she eventually retrieved the book from the floor, grasping it tightly in her trembling hands.

She had to read it. She had to read it to the last page, even if it would make her blush profusely for hours, for the whole night, the whole week. If anything, it would be to fulfill a promise to a friend. She couldn't lie to Tina. She wouldn't. She had told her she would read it—and she would. So she resumed her reading.

Tina's writing was not like anything she had ever read before. True, no two stories were alike, but Tina's was just… different. It wasn't like any literary works she had grown up with. Not Mark Twain. Not Dickens. Definitely not Alcott, her favorite author. It wasn't poetry either. Well, maybe it was. A different kind of poetry that was. The words sang to her. The passages seduced her and lured her in with colorful, stirring imagery.

So even though when Candy began again, her pace was much slower, as she had to avert her gaze from the paragraph she was reading for more than twice in a row and take a deep calming breath before she could finish reading the page, she couldn't fight the strong pull to satisfy her curious mind. From shock to borderline distaste, to nervously accepting, to slowly enjoying, once again, she found herself buried deep in the world where Annabelle Gatwick lived.

As the clock continued to tick its way to dawn, with each flick of her thumb to a new page, the writings blurred into black fuzzy letters. Sleepiness that had been absent before gradually crept in on her, and Candy couldn't contain a big yawn from escaping as she lifted her gaze from the book. But upon seeing a man with piercing blue gaze and golden hair that glimmered in the flickering lamp, she froze.

"Candy…"

Candy blinked, an unsure murmur slipping through her lips, "Albert?"

Somehow she thought she had just seen Ian McHenry.

_"_Have you been reading all this time? It's late." Albert sauntered toward her and glanced at the book, worry wedged itself in the creases on his brows.

Realizing she must have completely lost track of time, Candy gave Albert a rueful smile. "I'm almost done."

From the way Albert furrowed his brows at the book, it seemed as though he was about to question her about it, but he only let out a sigh. "Okay. You should go to bed soon. Or I might end up carrying you back to the bedroom like last night."

"So you really did carry me back to the room."

Yawning and rubbing the back of his head at the same time, Albert replied with his sleepy voice, "Well, I couldn't let you sleep here. You might get sick."

Her lips curved in gratitude. "Thank you, Albert."

He smiled in return and walked back toward the bedroom. "Goodnight, Candy. Don't stay too long."

"I won't. Goodnight, Albert."

Only then as she watched the door swinging to a close behind him, it dawned on her that her _Prince of the Hill_ was a Scotsman too, just like Ian McHenry, and Candy chuckled in amusement at that funny coincidence.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

This chapter slowly paves the path forward for the main plot to unfold.

As for the word limit goes-what word limit? :D

Not much on Candy but a bit more on Tina this time. But Candy has made good progress with her reading ;)  
>And yes, Tina is an important character. You can probably tell by now, how I'm going to proceed from here on. Or not :D<p>

Regarding Albert, most of you think that Albert has regained his memory, but some of you don't really think so. Well... you'll find out soon enough.

I contemplated about bumping up the rating for this ch but decided to leave it as is for now.

So this one is for kellyelin, an avid Neil fan. She used her brownie point.

QUESTION: Will there be Neal in this story? His name is mentioned once in ch. 4.

ANSWER: TBH, I have not planned to include him in the main plot. But keep in mind in the original CC story, it's Neil who unknowingly leads Candy back to Albert. That's all I can tell you for now :D

I also want to address one question raised by Lenniee.

Her question: when did they go to the stationery store?

Answer: In ch3 I didn't specify how long they've been walking around in the downtown area. The ch opens with them in the crossing. They went to the stationery store and other stores before that. I've modified the paragraph to clarify this. Thank you for your feedback.

This chapter is very fun to write. Two different scenes with very different tone and style.

I just hope they convey the message clearly and you still find the story entertaining regardless.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read the story, and please don't hesitate to let me know should you spot any mistake.

Many hugs and kisses for the kudos, faves, follows, and comments.

Stay tuned for chapter 6

Till next time

**-forever-**


	6. Chapter 6

Apology for the delay in delivering the chapter. I had a bit of a struggle with this one. But here it is.

Before you proceed,

Please note: implied mature theme ahead but not as bad that it should warrant a higher rating. But please let me know if I should change the rating.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

**Acknowledgement: **Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement.

Shout out to _lenniee, Josie, kellyelin, KeilaNt, Ckati, Charmichan, notastalker, French Candy, and Lezti Bella_. Thank you for the reviews and messages. Hug you all :D

Without further ado, please enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

By forever

**Chapter 6**

The rapid clicking of heels diminished into muffled tapping as the shimmering, polished Carrara marble gave way to thick woven Persian runner. Less than a minute later the rhythmic tapping dwindled to sporadic taps before it ceased completely, drowned by loud buzzing of indistinct noises. Tina stood by the entryway, eyes peering at the row of figures sitting by the bar counter through the thick white haze of smoke.

It appeared she was early.

Rouge lips curved with satisfaction, head held high, Tina navigated her way in the dimly lit room past the sitting area toward the bar counter, ignoring the incredulous and lewd gazes directed to her. It was infuriating that even in the new era there would always be a group of narrow minded idiots, who perceived women either as objects or their personal maids. Huffing inwardly, Tina hoisted herself and slid onto the only empty tall stool at the bar. She barely settled in her seat, resting her elbows against the counter, and was about to peel her gloves off, when the bartender approached her.

The white haired man greeted her with a familiar corteous tilt at the corner of his mouth. "What would you like for tonight, madam?"

Tina smiled and tugged at her glove, rolling it off her hand. "The usual, Harry. Gin with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon and a splash of soda water."

The bartender, Harry Smith, nodded in acknowledgment and immediately busied himself preparing her cocktail.

If only making a decision were as simple as ordering her favorite drink. Alas, it never was.

It took a nightlong deliberation, weighing the pros and cons and conjuring different possible scenarios from worst to best, before she had ultimately elected to give Chicago another chance. It hadn't been an easy decision to make, but she had done it, and for once in a long while she felt she had done something right.

After having to encounter yet another rejection—this time by the Examiner—it was tempting, really, to just abandon her goal and return home to succumb to whatever fate awaited her.

But Tina knew, although giving up might seem to be the easy way out, it would chain her to a bleak future, where she would live a very unfulfilled life, full of regrets and self loathing. So as long as she was still alive and well, she would not give up and would continue to strive forward, doing what she wanted to do, not what others commanded her to do.

While she waited for another opportunity to present itself, she thought there was no harm for her to take in a temporary job. Therefore, she had gone to Libertyville to visit the flower shop George had referred to her. The downtown area of Libertyville she had found to be quite charming, the size similar to the one in her current hometown, albeit a tad more upscale. The flower shop was located at the corner of the main street across a small park. When she had entered the shop and was received by a cordial greeting as she stood by the doorway, she wasn't sure of what to expect and a bit wary, for there wasn't a help-wanted sign posted anywhere, outside or inside the store. Nevertheless, she decided to continue with her original plan. After a quick introduction in which she had stated her purpose and casually mentioned George's name, and a few minutes of informal interview session that followed afterward, the owner, Mrs. Lindt, a lovely, soft spoken woman in her forties, had offered her a position as a helper. Pleasantly surprised with how easy the process had been, she had eagerly accepted and agreed to start working right away.

If it hadn't been for George, finding a job within a day in a big place like Chicago would've been impossible, not to mention the disparaging remarks and rejection she would have to endure. Her experience in New York last year had taught her that in general most businesses, regardless of their sizes and nature, still nurtured grave reservation about employing female workers. Bless George's heart for helping her! She would be sure to thank him later for the favor.

However, the new job brought forth a new dilemma. Libertyville wasn't exactly a walking distance away from her apartment. If she planned to arrive for work on time, she should consider to relocate to the nearby area.

Jeanette Warner, the woman she had met at the women's club gathering last night, had mentioned a vacancy at the Barlow's Manor. And from what she understood, although the manor was located in the least populated area of Libertyville, it was not too far from downtown. So she had checked the place out on her way back home from her visit to the flower shop. And it turned out it was only a twenty-minute walk from the flower shop. Perfect.

The manor was actually a mansion converted into a board house by its affluent owner, a widow who had no sons nor daughters. What had cemented her decision to choose the manor as her new home was the fact that Mrs. Joyce Barlow was among a handful active proponents of women's progressive movement in the country, and the lady had opened her house providing support and guidance to women who strove to gain independence over every aspect of their lives, defying rigid conventions and protocols dictated by a male-dominated society, an issue Tina felt passionately about. Realizing she had just found someone who shared her belief, someone that could be a new mentor for her as well, she was ecstatic. She couldn't find a better place than the Barlow's Manor as her new home.

Despite her excitement, Tina was sad. Moving into the manor meant she wouldn't live close to Candy anymore and wouldn't be able to show up unannounced at the clinic during lunchtime as often.

Tina genuinely liked Candy. Candy was the first person she had made an acquaintance in Chicago, and talking to Candy had easily become something she enjoyed to do. Based on her past experience, she admitted she was terrible at judging characters, which had cost her a hefty price, being betrayed and deceived numerous times. But she found no evidence of malice in Candy's demeanor. In fact, she thought of Candy as a rather simple minded person, that she would often end up subjecting her to a round of teasing, and Candy's reactions were always comical, especially when it pertained to sex. Tina laughed, recalling their interaction earlier in the restaurant. Candy could be such a prudish simpleton.

But Tina hadn't lied when she had told George she wished she could be like Candy. Although George had mentioned that Candy had gone through some hardships in the past, Tina couldn't tell. Everything about Candy suggested that she was quite content with her life, and contentment was something Tina had not felt in a long time. For her the only way she could truly be happy was to fulfill her dream of becoming a journalist. Because only then, those who had belittled her would finally accept that she could be a _somebody_, that she was not another shadow under her prestigious family name. And first and foremost, her parents would know that she was most definitely not Cassandra's shadow.

For that reason, she had made several night trips to the Palace Hotel, an establishment frequented by local politicians, journalists from Chicago major circulations, and other important figures as they would dawdle in the hotel's restaurant and lounges after working hours, chatting and mingling with other colleagues or smoking and drinking at the bar. It was there she had met Gregory Barnes who had showed his interest in her career ambition by agreeing to forward her list of credentials along with a written sample manuscript to the head of the editorial department at the Examiner.

Evidently, her first attempt hadn't been successful.

Tonight, she would try again. Examiner might not like her. But there were still ten others who might. Even Nellie Bly, from whom she had gained her aspiration, hadn't earned the title as the best reporter in America overnight.

"Tina, I'm so sorry for being late. There was a last minute matter I had to resolve at the office. Have you waited long?"

Tina lifted her head and turned to her side; her lips lifted into a smile at the dark haired man standing next to her, a regretful expression on his face. "Not at all."

And it certainly didn't hurt either that her number one supporter, Gregory Barnes, a man whose number of social connections rivaled that of her brother's, was a fine looking gentleman.

This time, perhaps, she could even _kill two birds with one stone_.

Within the confines of the small bathroom of the apartment, Candy stood in front of the sink, staring absentmindedly at her reflection in the mirror, her fingers raking through damp strands of hair. She had arrived home late, drenched from head to toe, for being caught in a sudden downpour. When she had left for work in the morning, she had not expected it would rain today and had not carried an umbrella. Neither had she expected she would have dinner faraway from home.

Five minutes before the clinic's closing time, Tina had suddenly appeared and announced that they would have dinner in Libertyville. Candy had been a bit baffled, wondering why Tina wanted to have dinner in a town a distance away, fifteen minutes by train, but later once they were seated in their table and Tina had merely said she would pay for their meals with her first paycheck, she understood. Apparently, Tina had found a job in Libertyville working as an assistant florist. It wasn't the kind of occupation she thought would fit Tina, but Tina seemed quite content with it, so there was no reason for her not to be happy for Tina. Yet she was upset to learn that Tina would move to Libertyville as well—she had become accustomed to seeing Tina almost every day, but very soon that wouldn't be the case anymore.

Tina then, in an obvious attempt to dispel the gloom that threatened to ruin their dinner, had inquired her about _A Summer to Remember_, to which she had hastily told Tina that she thought it was good.

Well, she would never admit to Tina that the story was _really_ good. Really good but scandalous—scandalously good. It was so unbelievably scandalous, yet once she had passed the initial shock of reading scenes with explicit intimate details, she couldn't bear to put the book down, reading it twice in a row. Tina's story had certainly demolished her primitive, text-book derived perception about sex, and she understood now where the term lovemaking had originated from, because, _sweet mother Mary_, there was so much love expressed during the act that there was no barrier to whatsoever in what one could do. She could never think about copulation as a mere biological procedure performed for producing offspring ever again.

Then there was the debonair and handsome Ian McHenry whom Candy would never gush about in front of Tina. If Tina ever found out that she had fallen hopelessly in love with a fictitious character, Tina would laugh at her and tease her without mercy. Hence, she had inconspicuously attempted to divert the subject by inquiring Tina more about her new job. Unfortunately, Tina, being a woman of indomitable spirit that she was, hadn't let her have her way. And somehow amid their relatively benign chitchat over the evolution of Annabelle and Ian McHenry's relationship from strangers to ardent lovers, their conversation had begun to deviate from the story, and it wasn't in the direction Candy wanted.

"I depicted Annabelle to be an ignorant prude. Can't you tell? She has zero experience in romance and has not the slightest idea how to deal with a man, but she's certainly willing to learn. And Ian harbors no qualm to teach her everything."

Candy could only nod her head in reply, feeling self conscious of how similar she was to Annabelle—an ignorant prude. She might have some brushes with romance in the past, but compared to Annabelle and Ian McHenry blazing love affairs, hers was almost like a staged child's play. She hadn't even had her first _real_ kiss.

"How about you?" Tina suddenly asked.

"Me?"

"Yes, you, Candy. Do you see anyone sitting beside you?" Tina rolled her eyes and then continued, "Are you an eager learner like Annabelle?"

Candy's face turned hot in an instant. "Don't joke around! I'm not in a courtship."

"There are things you can do without a partner, you know," Tina commented in a nonchalant tone, as though she was talking about her favorite dish from the menu, but Candy sensed Tina wasn't talking about anything innocent. "Like for instance, have you… ummm... you know, ever explored yourself?"

"What do you mean explore myself? Are you talking about discovering my passion or hobby?"

"Umm… not quite…" Tina answered in between a stream of low chuckle. "I'm talking about surveying your body's sensitive spots."

When Candy responded only with her dumbfounded look, Tina stopped her laughing and leaned toward her, "You see Candy… To a man, a female body is like an exquisite piece of musical instrument. He'll play, touch, push, prick, prod, blow and nip at the delicate parts until a beautiful melody is produced. But you won't know which part would trigger the sound or what kind of sound you're capable of generating if you don't play with the instrument yourself." Tina had never looked as wicked as she was at that time, like a beautiful nymph about to cast a spell on unsuspecting victim. Her lips stretched into a wide cheshire grin, blue eyes flashing with pure mischief. "Why don't you try to create an enchanting melody, Candy? No man would be able to resist the allure of a female euphoric cry."

To say she had been astounded was an understatement. Her jaw had dropped to the floor, and it would've remained like that for the whole night, if it hadn't been for the waitress interrupting them, pouring water into their half filled glasses, which Candy had nearly emptied almost right away.

Honestly. Why would Tina suggest something as twisted as that? Her body as a musical instrument? How utterly preposterous was that! Where had Tina got the insane idea from?

Pushing Tina's grating giggles out of her mind, Candy brought her gaze back to the mirror and stared at her face. Then she thrust her index finger into her cheek, the tapered end boring deep into the plump flesh until a yelp broke out of her throat. She rubbed at the red imprint on her cheek.

That was painful, and obviously, the cry of pain emitted from her mouth couldn't be the enchanting melody Tina had raved about. But Candy knew Tina hadn't meant _actual_ pricking and prodding either. Oh, she indeed knew very well what Tina had alluded to in spite of her ignorance. Still, exploring her own body, was not a concept she could readily accept. Sensual and intimate touch, as the name itself indicated, should be performed by a couple on each other—certainly not by an individual on herself. There was nothing intimate about touching yourself. She had wrapped her arms around herself in a self embrace, and that felt nothing like the warmth and comfort imparted from being swaddled in someone's arms.

Candy could have tossed the indecent thoughts out the window and laughed at it as if it were a pathetic crude joke—but she couldn't. Her curious mind begged her not to.

While the idea of consciously touching herself appalled her to no end, for she considered the act to be borderline perverted, she could probably conjure an image of herself as Annabelle. That shouldn't be too hard, she supposed, as she had done that more times than she could count when she had been reading Tina's story.

Bringing her gaze lower, she placed a palm against the side of her neck. Slowly, she let her hand slide down to the junction of her shoulder and closed her eyes.

And then perhaps she could pretend the hand gliding against her skin belonged to no other than the handsome Scotsman, Ian McHenry, as he blew words of sweet praises to her ears.

_"You truly are a beauty, my dear Annabelle." Ian moved the back of his hand against my skin slowly, as if taking his time to savor the smoothness, from the side of my neck down to my throat where his finger traced a line along the bony trail. Then his hand continued its travel downward to my chest, slipping inside the thin fabric and ever so gently parting it open leaving me bare to his touch. _

_His blue eyes darkened with desire as he ran his knuckles over the narrow path between my exposed breasts, down over the flat plane of my torso, to my navel. Then he suddenly stopped and looked at me, as if taunting me.  
><em>

_My breath hitched in my throat, my bosom ripe with want. In all my life, I never wanted something so badly._

"Candy - is everything all right? You've been inside for nearly an hour."

Eyes flying wide open, Candy gaped at the mirror, an image of her standing completely in the nude staring back at her, one hand resting slightly above the mound on her bare chest, the other on her stomach.

"Candy?"

Her gaze darted to the door, and she slapped a hand against her mouth to stifle a gasp. What was she doing? Had she been touching herself? The very thing she had claimed as repugnant.

"I'm fine... I'm just err... brushing my hair." She bent down and fumbled to shrug into her clothes, grunting in between. "These mighty obstinate tangles..."

"Sounds like you're wrestling with your own hair." Albert laughed. "You know what? Let me help you brush your hair. Perhaps it would be easier and less painful for you."

"Umm… Sure give me few minutes to tidy up," Candy replied distractedly, buttoning her pajama top as fast as she could.

After a quick glance at the mirror to ensure she was properly dressed, she grabbed her hairbrush from the counter and swung the door open to reveal Albert standing outside with his blue eyes fastened on her. There was a quirk of half interest and half amusement tucked in his lips. It was clear that he was waiting for her to say something, but, dipping her head down to avoid his gaze, she only handed the brush to him, strode to the chair, and sat down. She was still a bit flustered and ashamed by what had just transpired in the bathroom, where she had let her imagination go astray and corrupt her mind, and therefore was not in any capacity to strike a decent conversation.

Thankfully, Albert didn't coax her further into talking. Without saying anything, he slipped to stand behind her and began brushing her hair, his movement measured and careful, one hand dragging the brush all the way down and the other gently combing through the wet strands to disentangle the unruly knots.

One thing Candy had gathered about Albert from having to live with the man for more than a year was that he was always very meticulous with every task entrusted to him, however insignificant the task might be, and the way he was brushing her hair now clearly demonstrated that. She wondered where had he gained such a refined attribute, considering he had been nothing but a free spirited wanderer.

"You have such healthy, lush curls. They're beautiful..." Albert's whispering voice laced with undisguised awe dispersed the silence between them.

Candy dropped her gaze, looking at her hands; the edge of her lips slid up in a half smile. "Thanks."

A quiet hum was Albert's only answer as he continued to brush her hair.

The constant, steady movement of Albert's hands on her hair gradually eased Candy into a relaxed state, and she found herself musing about the man who was brushing her hair.

Gentle, tender, and kind. Those three words described Albert perfectly. And just like Ian McHenry, Albert was also a brave man. If Ian Mc Henry had fought a group of five goons who tried to plunder Annabelle and her friends, Albert using his bare hands had tamed a runaway lion. Of course, Albert was not the dashing Scotsman, Ian McHenry, but there was no doubt in Candy's mind that Albert would make a fine hero in a story as well—and perhaps even a wonderful lover too.

It wasn't difficult at all to picture Albert as a lover—he would be passionate yet gentle. His gaze mesmerizing, his words tender, his touch gentle, his kisses would take her to the moon.

Suddenly Candy felt the ticklish jolt from the tips of Albert's fingers grazing against the exposed skin on her nape, and she jerked her shoulder up, bending her neck away from his hand at an awkward angle.

"What's wrong?" Albert asked, bringing his hands movement to a halt.

"Nothing…" Candy answered absently, her voice barely above a murmur. She hadn't just imagined Albert as a lover, had she?

"But you just snapped your neck to the side all of a sudden. Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Candy blurted out incoherently.

"Is there something wrong with your neck?" Albert repeated.

"My neck?" Only then Candy became aware of the strain on her neck from the pressure of having her head slanted into her shoulder. With a swift tilt, she moved her neck back to its upright position. "Oh… I'm fine… It's just that… Ummm my muscle is a bit stiff." Candy chuckled, attempting to mask her embarrassment.

To her confusion, Albert didn't resume brushing her hair. Instead, Candy saw him lay the hairbrush down on the table with a quiet clatter.

She was about to ask what was the problem but turned as rigid as a solid timber when she felt Albert's head hovering right beside hers, his hands gently curving on top of her shoulders and moving in a delicate squeeze around the firm flesh. "Relax…" he whispered next to her ear as his fingers dug into her muscle, his warm breath tickling her skin, prickling goose bumps on her arms. "I'm just giving you a massage. It should ease the tension on your neck and shoulders. Does it feel better?"

She felt that tingle. She felt the tingle Annabelle described when Ian touched her for the first time, a tingle that propagated all the way to the ends of her fingertips and stirred in myriad fluttering tiny butterflies in her stomach.

"Mmm yeah… " she mumbled, trying hard to concentrate at his words and not at the sensations elicited by his nimble hands moving along her shoulders. His hands felt so good kneading and rubbing against her, that she involuntarily leaned more into his touch, giving him free rein over her back.

Then from her own pressed lips flew a strangled, breathy sound that wasn't quite like anything she had ever heard before, and the more she paid attention to herself, the more she was perturbed by how responsive her body was to Albert's touch as evidenced by the strange noises rumbling in her throat along with the gradual heightening of an indescribable sensation that quickened her pulse, making her feel incredibly nervous and excited at the same time. But as soon as Tina's words about making a beautiful melody flickered in her mind, she was propelled to an awareness of how totally and utterly wrong the current situation was.

She wasn't a piece of musical instrument, and Albert was definitely not playing her.

Squirming out of Albert's grasps, Candy bounced off the chair and sprang onto her feet. "Uhhhh… that's enough. Thank you, Albert."

Albert's face was a mixture of puzzlement and surprise. "Did I do something wrong? Have I hurt you?" His bewildered blue eyes searching her, imploring her.

"No, you've done nothing wrong," Candy murmured and forced herself to smile but faltered. "I just… I need to use the toilet very badly," she half yelled and dashed straight into the bathroom, slamming the door close with a resounding bang that caused the walls in the small apartment to vibrate.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

Once again, apology for the delay. A hectic week compounded with cold bugs had dampened my motivation. Moreover, it was an all around difficult chapter to write-sigh-what have I got myself into this time? Honestly, I'm not very satisfied with how the chapter turns out (very likely I will continue to revise and polish it). But I don't want to make you wait for another week. So I hope it's still somewhat worth reading. I'm sorry for this mediocre chapter. I'll try to do better next time.

The chapter is another build-up chapter. More is revealed about Tina. And then there is Candy whose curiosity slowly leads her to ummm... experimenting. All the while poor Albert has no clue of what's going on, yet ;)

As for the dynamic between Tina and George, we shall see what's going to happen next. I agree with some of you-they do make an interesting pair.

I think it's still okay to keep the mild rating for now even though the story begins to touch upon a subject some might not feel comfortable reading about.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read the story, and please don't hesitate to let me know should you spot any mistake.

Many hugs and kisses for the kudos, faves, follows, and comments.

Stay tuned for chapter 7

Till next time

**-forever-**


	7. Chapter 7

A new chapter in the first week of the new year. I hope you find this to your liking.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

**Acknowledgement: **Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement.

Shout out to _Josie, kellyelin, notastalker, French Candy, and Lezti Bella_. Thank you for the reviews and messages. I'm truly grateful for that.

Without further ado, please enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

By forever

**Chapter 7  
><strong>

The setting sun had bled orange into the sky as Candy sat by the window, eyes trained at the ground below her. Albert was still nowhere in sight, but she had to leave in five minutes if she didn't want to miss the 6:30 pm train. The next one wouldn't be until after 7 pm which would be way too late.

She skittered across the room, grabbing her coat from the rack, tearing off a small piece of paper from the calendar hanging on the wall, and snatching her pair of boots from the floor before sliding back into the chair.

As she slipped on her boots, the door suddenly flung open and in walked her roommate. The second his gaze met hers, his expression shifting from impassive to curious, and he strode to her at once, pulling the scarf loose from around his neck. "Are you going somewhere? How about dinner? Aren't you going to eat dinner first?"

"I'm not eating dinner at home tonight," Candy explained, tugging at the strings on her boot. "I'm going to the Barlow Manor."

"Barlow Manor?" Albert's voice rose in incredulity. "You know someone who lives there?"

Candy lifted her head to face Albert and smiled, her fingers reaching for the set of strings on her other boot. "Ummm yes… Tina. She just moved into the manor yesterday."

Albert was quiet for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "I hope you've not forgotten about the dinner two days from now with Archie," he said.

"Don't worry. I have not," Candy replied with a slight tilt of assurance at the edge of her lips. "I wouldn't miss it. After all, it's his farewell party before he leaves for Boston next week." Her attention returned to her boots as she ensured she had secured the strings properly.

The news about Archie moving to Boston had come a day after Tina had told her that she was moving to Libertyville. Patty and Annie had paid her a surprise visit at Dr. Martin's clinic. When Candy had first learned about it, hearing it directly from a dejected looking Annie, she had felt sad. Lately, she hadn't spent as much time with Archie, Annie, and Patty as she had in the past—but it couldn't be helped. Life got in the way. They had their own set of affairs and priorities they simply had to attend to. With Archie's mother extending her stay in Chicago, Archie had devoted most of his time to keep his mother company. Annie had gone back to her parents' home not long after the funeral and had stayed there through the holiday season while Patty had visited her aunt in Florida, which had done well to alleviate her grief, as Patty had been struck especially hard by Stear's tragic and unexpected demise.

Both Patty and Annie had returned to Chicago about a month ago, but Candy had been reluctant to visit them at the Andrews Mansion, knowing Neil Leagan lived there. After the horrific kidnapping incident masterminded by him that had left her shaking with fear, she preferred to keep her distance, avoiding any chance to cross paths with him. There was no telling what atrocity the man might commit to her next.

Now, however, she regretted she hadn't visited her friends earlier. With Archie's imminent departure for Boston next week, closely followed by Annie's return to her parents' home and Patty's possible relocation to her aunt's house in Florida by end of the month, they would be separated by long distance and spread out all over the map. Most likely, they could only meet a few times in a year, or probably even less.

"It's getting dark. I can accompany you to the train station if you want," Albert offered, propelling Candy from her string of thoughts.

Candy bit her lips, releasing her hold on the strings. This was yet another one of Albert's kind gestures that seemed to never stop coming. "Thanks, but that wouldn't be necessary," she rebuffed with a nervous smile. "I'll be fine."

While it was extremely tempting to accept his offer, she couldn't. Not because she didn't want to. She wanted to, but not when the prospect of being alone with him made her unbearably nervous, which was hilarious considering she had lived with him for more than a year. But that was how it was now. She just couldn't approach him as freely as she had. Not anymore. Not when improper thoughts about him, thoughts she absolutely should never harbor for a friend, persistently infiltrated her mind. Not when every time she accidentally brushed against him, she was reminded of how his mere touch as he had massaged her had incited delightful sensations in her body (that made her think of all sorts of things that were far from being decent), which led her feeling like a dirty, lewd woman.

Tina and her wicked story were to blame—Candy was sure of that. Since she had read it, about two weeks ago, she had found herself swirling between fantasy and reality. Ideas about matters she had never truly cared for before, matters she normally claimed as indecent and frivolous had flitted through her mind, shifting her perceptions and smothering her conscience, and somehow Albert, being the closest man she interacted with, had become entangled amid all those.

Albert sighed. "If you said so…"

Candy stood up and put on a rueful face. "I promise I won't jump into a stranger's car." She attempted to appease him, mocking at her own foolish blunder that had led to her falling right into Neil Leagan's deplorable scheme.

"I hope not." Albert laughed, but to her ears there was no hint of humor in his laughter—it sounded forced and stiff. He was obviously upset, yet Candy wasn't sure whether it was because of her bad joke, using a serious incident in a flippant manner, or it was because she had declined his offer to walk her to the station.

"Well, I have to go now." Candy grabbed the coat from the table, walked to the door, and opened it with a swift pull. "I'll see you later."

"Later, Candy…" Albert murmured, his tone pensive.

The last thing Candy saw as the door swung to a close was Albert frowning, his blue eyes clouded with a mixture of worry and something akin to hurt.

There was a part of her that wanted to run back inside, telling Albert she changed her mind, and that she would love to have him accompany her to the station. The other part, however, was not so sure.

Aside from her newly acquired reservation toward him, she was worried to be confronted by him. Albert was not judgmental by any standard, but from the dubious look on his face when she had mentioned she was going to the Barlow Manor Candy could tell he must have heard about the infamous manor. And it would've been normal for him to wonder why she would want to visit the place, and he might even attempt to discourage her. Hence, it was best for him not to escort her to the station.

For reason that was vague at best, Barlow Manor had garnered a rather reprehensible reputation. There were sinister hisses flying across the town condemning the manor as the house that gave birth to witches and spawns of satan. But she would not let that deter her from visiting Tina. Tina was her friend. No matter how annoying Tina could be when she teased her, Candy was sure Tina was not a witch.

Yet it would be a lie if Candy said she wasn't anxious at all when she had alighted the train at the Libertyville station. She was, so much so, that the deprecating remarks and snide slurs in her head had nearly convinced her to turn around and jump into the next train that would take her back home.

To her relief, as Candy later discovered, the manor was nothing like the heinous devil's lair the rumors made it out to be. It was not sordid at all. In fact, she found the place to be quite inviting, an elegant Victorian mansion located within the perimeter of one of the small lakes in the area. The lady of the manor, Mrs. Joyce Barlow, who had greeted her at the door, was a kind widow in her early fifties. Mrs. Barlow's husband had passed away ten years ago, and Mrs. Barlow had never remarried. She also had no children. But instead of returning to her hometown in England, Mrs. Barlow decided to remain in Chicago and turned the beautiful mansion into a lodging establishment.

The Barlow Manor only accepted female tenants, which made it quite unique. Everyone had their own private bedroom located in the sleeping quarters in the second floor of the mansion. There were communal eating and living areas, including a library that housed a huge collection of books and a spacious parlor that multi-functioned as a music room and a game room, imparting a dormitory-like atmosphere. Contrary to what the townspeople believed, there were no prostitutes nor witches nor demons resided in the manor. The women who lived there, a total of ten of them including Tina, had gone through extensive schooling and training, some abroad in England some here in America, and some even still pursuing a post-secondary degree. Candy was introduced to all of them during dinner, and with each passing minute, her initial discomfort, triggered by feeling of inferiority being surrounded by highly intelligent women of fine upbringing, dissolved, that by the time the final dinner course was served, she was completely at ease, chatting along merrily with everyone around the table.

Following dinner, Candy, Tina, and five of her housemates gathered by the fireplace in the parlor, enjoying tea accompanied by a tray of delicious after-dinner snacks provided by Mrs. Barlow, while Mrs. Barlow herself and the other three women had other obligations they had to attend to and couldn't join.

"How old are you, Candy, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Jeanette, the brunette woman who sat next to Candy. From the conversation during dinner, Candy could tell Jeannette was the one in charge when Mrs. Barlow was not around. The other women seemed to respect her opinion greatly.

"I don't mind at all. I'll be eighteen this May."

Sitting beside Jeannette, Mavis paused chewing her biscuit; her hazel eyes widened. "Really? Eighteen you say?"

Candy nodded bashfully, noting the raised eyebrows and opened mouth displayed on the faces around her.

"My, you look nothing like an eighteen-year old!" Jeanette remarked in disbelief.

Tina sneered, "See Candy? I told you. I thought you were only thirteen when I first saw you."

"Oh come on, Tina, I didn't look that young even though I'm short." Candy lowered her head, clasping her hands on her lap.

"Your innocent look has nothing to do with height, sweetie," Lillian commented heartily. Candy brought her gaze up to the woman sitting across from her. With dark wavy hair that hung past her shoulders and piercing metallic blue eyes, Lillian was simply stunning, and she reminded Candy of a beautiful, mysterious gypsy woman she had once seen in a painting. "I'm not tall either, but people have never mistaken me for a thirteen year old."

"You should try to wear your hair down. That might help," suggested Sharon. From all the other women in the manor, Sharon appeared to be the youngest, probably about her age, Candy presumed.

"You think so?" Candy tilted her head to one side, gripping a lock of hair from her pony tail between her fingers. "I've worn my hair like this for as long as I could remember."

"You're not as young as I originally thought…" Jeannette cut in. "Have you considered about the future? Marriage?"

"Marriage?" Candy chuckled awkwardly and shook her head. "No, no, not yet, I've not thought about that at all."

"She's a nurse, Jeanette. She's probably too busy working to have time to search for a suitor," supplied Tina lightly.

Jeanette's face brightened with wonderment. "Is that true? You're a nurse? That's wonderful, Candy. Do you know that out of the total workforce in America, women only makes 10% of it? You should be proud. You're part of that 10%."

"I didn't know that," Candy breathed as the other women gave her approving smiles.

"Have you done any schooling?" asked the blond haired, blue eyed Ingrid, the quietest among the women from the manor.

"I have. I was sent to St. Paul in London by my guardian, but I left before I completed my study. I returned—"

"Wait a minute. St Paul in London?" Tina interposed, looking at Candy with astonishment. "You went to St. Paul? I went to St. Paul too."

"No way!" Candy swiveled in her seat to face Tina. "We could've met already and didn't know it, Tina."

"Possible," Tina replied with a slight indifference huff and stood up. "Mavis—you promised us you would play Elsie Baker's _I Love You Truly_. I really adore that song, you know, such a romantic tune."

"Oh I love that song too," Lillian and Sharon echoed in unison followed by a series of "please Mavis" as they stood next to Tina, facing Mavis, and the three of them began to sing the lyric, swaying their bodies from side-to-side slightly.

_I love you truly, truly dear,_  
><em> Life with its sorrow, life with its tear <em>

Seeing the antics of her three friends, Mavis eventually rose to her feet and laughingly exclaimed, "Oh, all right."

The parlor erupted into loud cheering, and soon, the crisp sound from Mavis energetic piano playing and loud singing voices reigned in the room while Candy could only watch the gaiety before her in silence. She was both embarrassed and disheartened to be the only one who was not familiar with a song that seemed to be quite popular around the country. She knew how they must have thought of her as an insipid and dull person. But that was the reality—she had chosen her own path and had dedicated nearly all her time and energy to studying and working, instead of mingling with other women of her age, chatting and raving about fashion, music, and actors.

Candy's gaze wandered to Tina, who seemed to be busy singing along with the other women, and her thought meandered back to their conversation earlier.

Apparently, Tina had attended St. Paul as well.

Candy was surprised at the coincidence but not shocked. Some time ago, Tina had told her that she had spent nearly a decade in London, and in return she had told Tina that she had been there too for a short period of time. But for some reason, they had neglected to talk about anything related to school. That could very well because Candy had deliberately steered them away from the subject. She didn't really want to mention anything about Terry to Tina—as she knew for sure if she had to talk about her days in St. Paul, she would. Although it didn't feel as painfully agonizing as it was last year, talking about Terry was not something she was eager to do. She hadn't said a word about Terry to either Albert, Annie, Archie or Patty, and she intended to keep it that way.

But from the way Tina had curtly brushed aside her comment and smoothly switched the attention to Mavis, Candy couldn't help but conclude she wasn't the only one who was reluctant to talk about St. Paul, and she could only wonder why.

A half hour later, as Candy and Tina rode the carriage to the train station, Candy pondered how much she actually knew about Tina. From early on, she inferred Tina belonged to a wealthy family. The hints were there, from the callous attitude toward money to the finely made clothes Tina had worn, and Tina didn't seem to care to hide them. Candy often wondered about the kind of family Tina came from, but the only thing Tina had divulged was that she was the second child of three siblings. Other than that, Tina had mostly kept mum about her family, except for sporadic mentions of her brother, whom Tina seemed to hold in high regard.

"Say Candy…" Tina began, urging Candy to cease her musing. "Nobody wants to be an old spinster. I'm sure that's not what you aspire to be, right?"

Candy knitted her brows at Tina, unsure where Tina wanted to go with her statement. It wasn't as though Tina was engaged to anyone—at least not to the best of her knowledge. "Well, no."

Instead of resuming the conversation, Tina turned still, fixing her gaze on Candy, as though she was trying to read her mind, only the steady tapping of horse shoes hitting the hard ground could be heard.

Candy fidgeted in her seat, "Wh-what?"

"It's a bit strange, you know. Never once have you displayed any regard to a man. That makes me wonder... "

"What's so strange about that?" Candy countered without being able to suppress her irritation. "I have not found anyone who has taken my fancy. How about you? I don't see you with a suitor, either. And—"

A stream of chuckles compelled Candy to stop talking at once.

"You're wrong, Candy. I do have a potential suitor. It's you I'm worried about." Tina snapped her mouth close at once, a frown marring her brows . "Don't tell me that you're actually in love with your brother."

Candy was sure her heart had just somersaulted inside her chest. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" she dismissed with a sneer, moving her gaze to the front as she attempted to calm her racing heartbeat.

"It's okay if you do, Candy. I perfectly understand." Tina grabbed Candy's hand and squeezed it lightly, much to Candy's dismay as it only augmented her anxiety. "There was one time when I thought my brother was—"

"Of course not. I'm not in love with my brother," Candy contended, pulling her hand free from Tina's grasp.

"Then you should stop hanging around him and Dr. Martin too much." Tina sank into a contemplative silence for a moment before enthusing, "You know what? I'm going to the city. Would you like to come along? Perhaps you could expand your horizon and extend your network of acquaintances."

Candy cast Tina a skeptical look. She remembered seeing the short and long hands on the face of the grandfather clock in the foyer approaching nine o'clock when they had stridden their ways toward the manor's main door. "At this hour? Isn't it too late?"

"No, I usually leave around this time."

Candy's jaw dropped. Her mind scrambled to find an answer as to what one could possibly do at this late evening hours in the city known as being a haven for criminals from the underworld. Apparently, she _really_ didn't know anything about her so-called friend.

Right at that moment, the carriage lurched to a stop, and the door was swung open shortly by the coach driver.

"I'm sorry, Tina," Candy uttered as she and Tina exited the passenger compartment. "But I don't think I can. I need to go home now. Otherwise—"

"You're doing it again, aren't you, Candy?" Tina scoffed, swiftly pivoting on her heel to face Candy; her lips curled in a smirk. "You're worrying about your brother. Am I right?"

Candy wanted to lie and say no, but she couldn't. She knew Albert must have been worried sick about her, as she never loitered outside by herself this late in the day. "Umm… yeah."

Thankfully, Tina didn't attempt to persuade her further.

The ride back was a quiet and fast one. The train was mostly empty except for one or two passengers in each car, but Candy couldn't enjoy the rare peaceful moment, unlike her fellow riders. The closer she was to her home the more anxious she was.

With worry and guilt constantly prodding her mind, Candy finished the last leg of her journey by foot, jogging along the nearly deserted street all the way to the Magnolia Apartment. Her speed never dropped as she entered the building and climbed up the stairs. Only once the door to her apartment unit appeared in her line of sight, she slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Standing still, she attempted to regulate her breathing, her raucous panting echoing across the narrow corridor. Her gaze dropped to the floor, and she could see light streaming through the narrow crevice underneath the door.

Her mouth clamped shut, and she swallowed.

Albert was waiting for her.

Taking the last two steps to the door, Candy grabbed the metal knob that felt cold to the touch even through her wool glove and inhaled deeply as she braced herself for what would be one of the most awkward and nerve wracking conversations between Albert and her. Then she pushed the door open slowly. "Albert…" she whispered, the loud thumping of her heart against her ears muffling her own voice. But the second her gaze flitted up to the stationary form in front of her, her shoulders drooped free from the tight knots of anxiety that had seized them, and a sigh of relief flew out of her mouth.

Albert sat on the chair with arms folded over his chest, his head bowed, eyes tightly shut. He must have fallen asleep waiting for her.

Carefully padding across the wooden floor while shrugging out of her coat, Candy approached him. As she draped the coat over his back, she could almost hear Tina's ironic chuckle from their last exchange before they had bid each other goodnight.

"Oh well, I won't force you—but think about the implication of your dilly-dallying, and you should give it a serious thought," Tina had said as they had stood at the main platform. "It is not only you who are affected, Candy. Your brother, even though I have yet to meet him in person, definitely doesn't look like a teenager—but he's obviously not married."

"What are you saying, Tina?"

Tina heaved a sigh. "Have you taken notice at all? Most men of his age are either married or in courtships. You know what I think? You're the reason why he remains single. He feels responsible for you and can't abandon you, so he puts all his other needs behind you."

"Is that what you think?" Candy couldn't stop herself from rising her voice. Tina's words had really hurt her.

"Well, Candy darling, if you care about your brother _that_ much, you should find yourself a suitor and marry soon. You did say you didn't want to be an old spinster—so you might as well start hunting for a suitor now. Or if you're still not ready to marry, you can move out and live in the Barlow Manor with us," Tina had suggested. "By moving out, you send a strong message to your brother that you're capable of fending for yourself, and he shouldn't need to worry anymore."

Candy could have easily disregarded Tina's opinion as mere gibberish, for it was based on the erroneous facts that Albert and her were siblings. But there were some elements of truth in it that she just couldn't ignore.

Albert was much older than her—she was sure of that—even though he had never informed her of his age. So it shouldn't come as a surprise to her if he had been with a woman before, as it would only be natural for an adult male like him to seek a female companion.

But marry? Did Albert wish to marry?

For her, marriage was so far out of reach. Besides, even if she wanted to marry, she had no suitor nor any man who had expressed his wish to court her—Neil Leagan didn't count.

There was one time she had dreamed of being happily married to someone, but it had been just that. A dream.

Now she had no one. Not even in her dream.

Well, there was Ian McHenry. But he was not real, nothing but a figment of her imagination—Tina's imagination—and Ian McHenry belonged to Annabelle not her.

What a pity!

Although… There was another man Candy regarded as good as Ian Mc Henry, and he was not an illusion. He was a real man of flesh and blood.

Her gaze drifted to Albert's sleeping face, and a smile gradually materialized on her lips.

Candy knew without a doubt that Albert would make a fine husband. Oh, he definitely would, and the woman who could manage to capture his heart, whoever that was, would be one very lucky woman. She was sure if it hadn't been for his less than respectable status as a mere vagabond, he would've been the most sought after bachelor in the whole town. Tina, who had only caught a glimpse of him had blatantly expressed that he was indeed a desirable man, then other women must have noticed his attractive attributes as well. But since living with him, she had never seen him with a woman, and neither had he ever shown interest in pursuing one. Or had she been too engrossed in her own affairs that she had overlooked a lot of details pertaining to him just like Tina had said? He had sacrificed his own needs so that he could care for her?

Snippets of random scenes flickered rapidly in her mind of Albert saving her from the lion, Albert searching for her in the dark, Albert climbing a tree with her, Albert tending to her when she had been sick, Albert cooking and cleaning for her...

Tina was right. She had been selfish. Albert had done everything for her. She had not considered his feelings at all, had not considered his wishes and wants, had not ever thought that by living with him she might have hindered him from reaping his own happiness. She was nothing but a burden to him.

"I'm sorry, Albert… " Candy bent down and pressed her lips onto Albert's cheek lightly, but as she drew away from him, she froze. The realization sank in on her, that perhaps she didn't _really _want to distance herself from him, didn't really want him to ever leave her, for whether she cared to admit it or not, there was a small part of her that wished she could be that lucky woman who could win his heart.

Fingers touching her lips absently, Candy stepped back and walked to the bedroom. Trapped in her own stupor, she completely failed to notice the slight movement on the chair nor the eyelids that once had been drawn close slid up, revealing a pair of blue orbs following her with wistful longing.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

Phew that's a long one, and it seems there is a trend that the length increases at each chapter. LOL  
>I hope it turns out okay though. I'm still a bit delirious from the fever and coughing, so it's possible I might have missed something or pressed the wrong key on the keyboard. Writing this chapter wasn't as difficult as the previous one, but it still took me a while to get the flow right somewhat.<br>So yeah, I'm only semi satisfied with it (and per usual will continue to polish it), but it seems adequate to serve as an overture to the next one.

Quick recap: Tina surely knows how to provoke Candy, doesn't she? Candy is slowly awakened while Albert-what will he do next? ;)

Time to address some comments:

To French Candy: Merci beaucoup. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I know that the story might not be well received due to its nature, but it's good to know that there are some readers who truly appreciate it, like you. Thank you. And please take care of yourself. I don't know whether you live in Paris or not, but I hope you are in a safe place, and the situation will get better soon.

To kellyelin: As you can tell, the story is neither simple nor short. When I began writing, it could go either way but somehow the plot bunnies just wouldn't leave me alone-so here we are. And Tina? Everything will be revealed in due time. As always, thank you for your kind words.

To Josie: I just want to say thank you for all the 3 comments. I don't speak Spanish but I could always use gtranslate. Poor Albert had no idea when he was massaging her, but now he must have noticed something. ;)

To notastalker: I'll take that comment as a compliment. Thank you. Not to worry. There will be plenty of 'that' later. ;)

To Lezti: Please be patient, dear. I know you just want to dig in into the cake. We'll get there, I promise. And Tina is important, so just wait a bit, okay?

**Many hugs and kisses for the kudos, faves, follows, and comments.**

Stay tuned for chapter 8

Till next time

**-forever-**

NOTE:

* "I Love You Truly" was a song written by Carrie Jacobs-Bond in late 19th century. She was the first female American songwriter whose song sold 1 million copies. The song was so popular that a number of artists had performed it. But it was Elsie Baker who managed to bring the song to hit # 1 in the US in 1912.

** Libertyville is a small town 30 miles north of Chicago. I visited the historic downtown and was charmed by it. (There was a restaurant, that when I stepped inside it, I felt like I was back in early 20th century, and I said to myself this would be a perfect place for Albert to take Candy on a date.) Thus I couldn't pass the opportunity of using it in my story. :D


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for your patience. Here is the new chapter. A mighty long one. I hope you find it entertaining. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Candy Candy manga and all the characters in it, but the talented Kyoko Mizuki does. This fic is a product of my own twisted imagination and inspired by Mizuki's masterpiece. If any of the plots, specific scenes, or dialogues appears to be similar to that from another fic or story, it is purely unintentional and coincidental. 'Great minds think alike', after all.

The characterization in the fic is based on the Manga and not the Anime.

**Acknowledgement: **Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement.

Shout out to _Josie, Lenniee, kellyelin, Reeka, Ckati, notastalker3, French Candy, KeilaNt, Charmichan, Lezti and Luzpaat_. Thank you for the reviews and messages. My heartfelt gratitude to you all.

Without further ado, please enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Awakening<strong>

By forever

**Chapter 8  
><strong>

Intermittent jovial chatter and laughter sparked the otherwise quiet private dining room inside a quaint Italian restaurant into life.

Archie had rented the modest establishment in favor of an upscale one located close to the mansion for his going away party. The reason was the Leagans siblings, in particular a certain cunning Eliza Leagan. Much to Archie's discontent, Eliza somehow had discovered Archie had been planning some kind of celebration with his friends and she had insisted to be included in the guest list. Archie had no desire whatsoever to invite Eliza, so he had devised a way to discourage her, reserving a restaurant he knew for sure didn't fulfill Eliza's high standards.

"Oh Archie… I must have forgotten. I won't be able to attend your party after all. I have to accompany mother to a dinner engagement. You know how mother is, don't you? She would scold me all week long if I suddenly informed her I couldn't accompany her," Archie uttered in an abnormally high-pitch, nasal voice, pressing a hand against his mouth in a dramatic gesture as he mimicked Eliza's reaction with obvious exaggeration when she had heard the event would be held in an obscure place, twenty miles north of the mansion.

No sooner had Archie finished his performance than the table trembled with a roar of laughter.

That was how the atmosphere was throughout dinner—fun and carefree— imbued with warm camaraderie, a striking contrast to the deep sorrow and anguish that had enveloped them the last time they had met as a group—at Stear's funeral.

A short while later, after all the food had been consumed, leaving stacks of empty plates for the server to collect, Albert and Archie headed directly for the billiard table on the opposite side of the room while the women contented themselves staying in their seats in the dining area. It had been a while since all three of them had met. So they surely had a lot to share. Annie, seemingly to be in good spirits, jumped in by informing Candy and Patty about her parents plan for the summer holiday that included a trip to the Brightons' new estate in Maine from which she could afford a chance to visit Archie in Boston. Patty divulged she had resolved about moving to Florida and enthused her interest in acquiring a secondary education at Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee—she considered a teaching career.

While Patty and Annie carried on with their talks, Candy, however, had scarcely paid attention to what her friends were saying. Her gaze had strayed to Albert every time his carefree laughter rang from across the room as he and Archie engaged in a friendly billiard competition. She hadn't heard his laugh for some time. The last two days, other than amid the hustle of morning routine before work, she had seldom seen him and figured there must be something urgent he had to finish at his workplace, causing him to return home late at night, once she had been fast asleep. Earlier, when he had not been present at the time dinner had commenced, she had thought he wouldn't attend the party tonight. So she was pleasantly surprised to see him barge in not long after the second course had been served, apologizing profusely for his tardiness.

The truth was she had missed him. She had missed having his company despite her resolution to temporary avoid him. She had missed him to a point that his presence weighed more than the uneasiness she had felt to be around him.

"Candy? Are you even listening?"

Patty's voice, laced with unconcealed annoyance, prompted Candy to whip her head to her left upon which she was met with a frowning Patty. Candy suddenly felt guilty, for having been distracted with her own thoughts, but before she could apologize, Annie interjected, "What were you thinking, Candy? It's Terry, is it?"

Candy shrugged off the worry on Annie's gaze with a smile. "No, it's not Terry…" And it hadn't been for a long time, Candy added inwardly. "I was just thinking about…" Candy hesitated, unsure if it would be wise to tell her friends the truth. "Work—" she blurted, and then, mustering calm, she hurriedly asked, "so Patty, when are you going to move to Florida?" Even though Candy loathed lying, she just couldn't tell Patty and Annie that Albert had occupied most of her thoughts—they might have the wrong assumption.

Patty gave Candy a skeptical look but didn't question her further. "I'm not sure yet, but my aunt has told me that I should move in by the next few weeks or so. If not, I would have to wait until the end of summer when she returns from South America."

Expiring a loud huff, Candy glanced at Patty and Annie alternately. "I can't believe it. You and Annie are abandoning me. I'm going to be left all by my self. Oh right, there's Neil who is still prowling around and his evil-sidekick sister, Eliza."

"What do you mean by yourself?" Annie remarked, a touch of irony tinting her voice. "There's your new friend Tina, whom you haven't even introduced to us. And you certainly must have not forgotten about Albert." Candy's heart skipped at the mention of Albert's name. "How long has it been since you two have lived together? More than a year?"

Candy lowered her gaze toward the table, eyes leisurely tracing the elaborate embroidery adorning the tablecloth. "Yes, it has been more than a year since I have invited Albert to live with me."

"One year is a long time…" Patty commented and then continued, "Do you think that maybe, you know, with you turning eighteen soon, you two should start living separately?" Candy flinched, glaring at the white tablecloth. She could hardly believe it, that only a few days ago Tina had alluded to the same thing—about her current living arrangement with Albert. While she could ignore Tina, for Tina was completely in the dark with respect to Albert and his circumstances, she couldn't do the same with Patty and Annie. Both of them knew well who Albert was, and their words carried greater merits than Tina's.

Annie nodded and chimed in, "That's a good point, Patty. I've been wondering about that as well. You don't plan to live with Albert for another year, right Candy? It's a bit… improper for—"

"I don't know," Candy answered candidly, straining a smile. "I mean if he hasn't regained his memory. I don't think I should—"

"What if Albert never recovers, Candy?" Patty's question barreled over Candy's words, essentially forcing Candy to snap her attention to Patty. "That's a real possibility you should take into account. If that's the case, are you going to continue living with him? For how long? Forever?"

"Forever?!" Annie echoed, disbelief inflecting her tone.

"Ummm… I've never thought about that…" Candy's brows knitted into a frown, lips pursed in contemplation.

Candy recalled from her research that amnesia was considered a temporary medical condition. It typically didn't last long with the longest duration recorded in the medical journal spanning over several months. But in Albert's case, more than a year had elapsed, and he was still not cured. What if Patty was right, and Albert never recovered?

"What are you going to do, Candy?" Annie prodded.

Candy turned to Annie and stared blankly. In the beginning, she always assumed it wouldn't take more than a few months for Albert to recover—but that wasn't true anymore. Had she noticed it? Or she just didn't care anymore whether Albert would ever recover or not, since having him around had been deeply ingrained within her, that subconsciously she wished for him to never recover so that he could remain by her side.

No, that couldn't be right.

Releasing a few stilted chuckles, Candy shook her head in vehement denial. "No, that would never happen. Amnesia is not a permanent condition. Albert must recover at some point. I firmly believe that," she declared, but it felt as though it was a desperate attempt to convince herself more than others. "Maybe it would happen soon. Who knows? Maybe he would fall and strike his head or something. And then BAM! Suddenly he remembers everything." Her head swung from side-to-side as she gauged her friends' reactions.

While Annie appeared neutral, Patty didn't seem convinced in the least and maintained a serious veneer. "I still think that either you or Albert should move out," Patty asserted. "There's no guarantee he'll regain his memory in the foreseeable future. I know it wouldn't be easy. After all, you've lived with him for more than a year. But Albert looks perfectly healthy now, so there's no reason for you to keep taking care of him. "

"Mmm… That makes perfect sense, Patty," Annie expressed earnestly with a slight nod. "I think that'll be for the best. Besides, I'm sure you don't want Aunt Elroy and Uncle William to find out about you and Albert, Candy. "

Candy shook her head, her lips tugged up in a wry smile. "No…"

"Then you should talk to Albert about rectifying the situation as soon as possible. I think he would understand," Patty suggested, her gaze drifting toward the game room across from them, where Albert and Archie were.

Candy found herself doing the same thing, and she immediately noted the change in the aura emanated by the two men. No more laughter and chatter, and it wasn't difficult to tell who was winning from Archie's frequent loud disappointed grunts. They must be in their last few rounds. Archie, who appeared to have taken off his waistcoat, was leaning over the table in a ready-to-shoot mode while adjacent to him Albert watched with keen interest.

"Say Candy… You don't suppose Albert is in love with you, do you?" Candy jerked her head back to Patty at once, eyes wide, mouth hanging open at Patty's baseless inference that came out of nowhere. "Or how about yourself? Are you in love with him?" Patty switched her focus back to Candy, pinning her with an inquiring gaze.

"WHAT!?" Candy exclaimed in incredulity, emitting a nervous half snort, gaze straying every which way, anywhere as to avoid Patty and Annie. "That's absurd. I'm not. No, no, no." Her voice jumped an octave, arms moving about in a frantic rebuff. "How could you even say that? I'm not in love with Albert, absolutely not. And I don't think he's in love with me either. That's just ridiculous."

"Is that so?" Patty, however, seemed to have not listened to her, eyes wandering back to where the men were. This time, however, Candy refrained from mirroring her action. "Although… Albert is not a bad looking man at all, you know," Patty whispered contemplatively. "He's extremely attentive to you. So it's totally understandable if you—"

"You and Albert, huh, Candy?" Annie giggled. "I think that may work."

Candy felt her cheeks burn. "That's enough, you two. Albert—"

"What about me?"

Candy's entire body turned rigid at the cheerful masculine voice. Her pulse quickened. Had she spoken too loudly? Candy swiveled her head, and when she saw Albert sauntering closer, his brows raised, she quickly averted her gaze.

"I just heard my name being mentioned. It was nothing bad, I hope." Albert halted his step, standing in the space between Patty and Candy.

"We were talking about how attentive you are to Candy," Annie supplied eagerly, too eagerly.

Candy whirled her head to Annie, casting her a disapproving glare.

"Who's attentive?" Archie suddenly cut in, striding toward them with a cue stick gripped in his hand. "Are you talking about Candy?" Archie stopped next to Albert and rested the long cue to stand upright against the floor. "I agree wholeheartedly. Candy is the most attentive of all among us. That is one of her most admirable qualities, don't you agree Albert?"

Candy winced. What was Archie striving to accomplish by praising her in front of Albert?

"Well…" Albert angled his head, his blue eyes flicking to Candy, startling her, and she could only smile nervously.

"You don't even know what we were talking about, Archie," Annie interjected in a slight reprimanding tone.

"Is that right?" Archie's brows shot up. "I thought you were talking about Candy being attentive."

"No we were not," Annie retorted. "We were talking about Albert actually."

"Albert?" Archie threw a sideways, cursory glance to Albert. "What's he got anything to do with Candy?"

From the scowl surfacing on Annie's face, Candy sensed Annie's agitation and hurriedly attempted to dispel it. "So who won?" Her shrill voice drew everyone's attention to her at once.

Archie huffed aloud and without saying anything, he directed his thumb toward Albert upon which all eyes turned to Albert.

Albert broke into sheepish chuckles, waving his hands out in front of him. "Hey, I'm not _that_ good. It was by pure luck I could win the game."

"Don't be too modest, my friend. You know that wasn't true. Luck might have something to do with it but not all," Archie quipped, evoking a few sniggers from Albert. "Anyway…" Archie averted his gaze from Albert, his lips stretching into a flattering grin. "I was thinking... I see that you ladies are not doing anything particularly stimulating."

"Are you saying that we are a bunch of dull women?" asked Candy in mild irritation.

"No... no, no, no. I didn't say that," Archie rebutted, waggling his hand in front of him. "I'm not finished yet."

"Fine, go on..." Candy reclined against the chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're not going to spend the whole night chatting, right? How about you three join us? Could I interest you in a most engaging game of billiard?"

"Sounds interesting," commented Annie. "But I hope you're not thinking of having you and Albert in one team competing against us three in another team."

Archie gave a nonchalant shrug. "Why not?"

"You and Albert in one team?" Patty asked disbelievingly, and almost immediately Candy trailed with a snicker, "you must be joking right? You and Albert can take us down even when you two are blindfolded."

"So you concede defeat before the battle even begins?" Archie goaded in a half sneer, causing Candy to glower, but before she could counter him with an angry retort, he lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "Kidding. I was just kidding." Archie turned to Albert, resting his hand on Albert's shoulder. "How about you decide on how we split into teams, Albert?"

Albert looked taken aback but quickly recovered. "Hmm... Let's see..." His eyes scanned at the faces around the table. "How about we do this? Candy—you and I will be in one team, and Archie you can be in the other team with Annie and Patty."

"Me?" Candy used her index finger to point at herself, staring at Albert, who only nodded his head to affirm.

"Now that sounds fair. What do you think, ladies?" Archie's smile grew wider with each word uttered, eyes twinkling with excitement.

Patty and Annie exchanged looks and shrugged. "Sounds fair to me."

"But Albert, are you sure?" Candy sought Albert's gaze as she rose from her seat. "I've never played the game before in my entire life."

"No worries. I'll teach you. It's not that difficult. Trust me. Once you have got a handle of the basic moves, you should be good to go."

"Umm… okay." Candy gave Albert a doubtful look of which he returned with an appeasing smile.

The five of them then ambled their way to the other side of the room and congregated by the cue rack. Once Annie, Patty, and Candy had picked up their cues, Albert and Archie took turns, explaining the rules and addressing any question that was raised. There were many variations of billiard, but in order to keep it simple, they settled on a pocket billiard game. The aim was to shoot the colored ball into any of the holes located at six different positions on the table. The winner would be the team that pocketed the most balls.

Then they dispersed into two groups. Archie led Annie and Patty to the other side of the table, and both women began practice hitting the balls right away while Candy observed in dismay. It turned out, Patty and Annie, though claiming to be far from being experienced, had played previously.

"Candy—"

Candy turned her head sharply to the side and stilled. There was something about the sight before her that made her think of an exquisitely carved marble sculpture in a museum. With his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows, Albert was leaning over the table's edge in a graceful arc, one arm bent and pulled past his back and the other stretched above the table. The cue, securely gripped in his right hand, was locked in position between his long and slender, deft index finger and middle finger of his left hand.

Albert threw a glance at Candy, catching her off guard. "Why don't you try to do this, Candy? This is how you hold the cue."

Giving Albert a hum in acknowledgment, Candy tightened her grip around the cue and inclined her body forward, trying to imitate him. After she managed to assume the correct stance, Albert spun his head to the front, eyes focused on the ball. Shortly, a loud clack pierced through her ears as Albert struck the ball with his cue, the ball bouncing off the side of the table before rolling to a stop in the middle. He straightened to his full height and retrieved the ball, laying it on the table in front of the tip of her cue. "Your turn, Candy."

Candy, mimicking what Albert had done earlier, moved her cue in a swift thrust, but the tip of the cue veered off to the right into a void space, missing the ball by an inch. The ball remained stagnant on the table. "Drats! I'm so horrible at this." She laughed mockingly at herself against a ripple of Archie's quiet laughter.

"Don't say that. It was only your first try. Everybody could make a mistake. Try again, Candy," Albert coaxed, his blue gaze radiating with warmth.

"Albert is right, Candy," Patty said with a sympathetic smile. "Don't give up yet."

Candy looked around and saw everyone's encouraging gaze. With renewed determination, she pursed her lips in concentration and shifted into position. This time, she applied more force to her thrust, thinking that the first time she had done it she couldn't generate enough momentum. But instead of a powerful strike to the ball, the cue slipped out of her hand and flew across the table. She stared aghast as it landed with a bouncing thud.

Archie burst into guffaw. "Candy—you're supposed to hit the ball with the cue, not hurl the cue."

"That's not very nice, Archie," Annie chided, but a few suppressed giggles escaped from her lips while Patty appeared to be struggling not to laugh.

"You might be better off playing without me, Albert. I'm just not good at this," Candy groused, unable to contain her disappointment.

Albert calmly reached for Candy's cue and handed it back to her. "It's okay. That's only your second time. You should try again. If you could conquer a mighty giant Cypress with barefoot, then this should be a piece of cake for you."

Candy chuckled stiffly. Albert was right. What was so darn difficult about hitting a ball with a stick? She hesitated for a moment before she heaved a loud sigh and took the cue into her hand. Angling her cue tip toward the table, Candy extended her arms out over the length of the cue and leaned forward.

"Make sure your grip is tight," Albert instructed.

"I know—"

Head whipped to her side, Candy sank into abrupt silence when she felt Albert grasp the end of her cue, his hand brushing against hers. She turned deathly still as Albert shifted his position and hovered close behind her, his head next to hers, his other hand planted on the table beside her splayed fingers. An intoxicating scent that was undoubtedly masculine tickled her nose, and she found herself growing dizzy with every whiff she took.

"And keep it tight all the time. Never loosen your hold even for a second." Albert continued talking, but one by one his words faded into muffled indistinct murmur against the thundering of heartbeat in her ears. The awareness of his chest pressing down lightly on her back reduced all coherent thoughts into nothing.

"Also, don't worry about how you spread your fingers on the table. Do whatever you feel comfortable—there's no right or wrong on how you cushion the cue. Aim to hit the center of the ball. You don't need to put too much power. It's more important for you to maintain control of your cue."

The next thing Candy knew, she saw the tip of her cue smacking the ball, propelling it to the other side of the table, the ball bumping off the side guards twice before rolling toward the center and then stopping.

"There… That wasn't so difficult, was it?" Albert drew away from Candy and flashed her a satisfied grin.

In return, Candy could only smile bashfully although she wasn't sure she had been the one who actually had hit the ball. No, she was certain it was Albert—she had been mesmerized by his nearness, that she couldn't even notice what she had been doing or supposed to be doing. Their team would lose because of her.

But later, after their friendly tournament had started, Candy ceased her fretting in an instant. Albert managed to strike one ball after another ball with remarkable precision during his first turn, pocketing nearly half of the total number of available balls, while everybody else, including Archie, could only gawk watching balls ricocheting from side-to-side, shooting across the table, gliding and rolling along the smooth surface of the green cloth before one by one disappearing into the netted hole.

"Are you sure you were not a billiard champion, Albert?" Archie asked to which Albert could only respond with laughter.

Even though Archie had obviously meant his question as a jest, Candy couldn't help but wonder about it. How could he become so good at the Billiard? Billiard was widely popular among the upper class—as a vagabond Albert clearly didn't belong in that category. Where had he learned to play? As far as she knew, there wasn't even one billiard club nearby where they lived. So he must have acquired his skill from somewhere else.

The fact that he was an excellent billiard player was yet another thing Candy had learned about Albert. She realized there were a lot of things she didn't know about Albert. In fact, her relationship with Albert could probably described as some sort of an oxymoron. The more time she spent time with him, the more she believed she knew nothing about him. There was a perpetual air of mystery surrounding him, that occasionally it felt as if he were a stranger. Maybe he was _really_ a stranger. After all, she knew nothing about his identity—his full name, his age. She knew nothing about where he had originally come from. She knew nothing about his home, family, or his friends.

Yet, Candy bore no dubious thoughts of Albert. She trusted him wholly despite not knowing anything about him. The way he had treated her conveyed nothing but genuine kindness and affection without any hints of malice, definitely not how a stranger would have behaved toward her. Moreover, it wasn't as though Albert had purposefully kept her in the dark. He suffered from amnesia—he just couldn't remember any of those details pertaining to himself. Perhaps he would have revealed more if he could recall anything.

As the game progressed and everyone had taken their turns, soon there was only one ball left to pocket, and it was the ball that could determine which team would be the winner. Coincidentally, it happened to be Candy's turn.

With her two hands propped on the slick polished wooden surface of the table frame, Candy glared at the lone proud purple ball then at the white ball. The closest pocket was at the right corner of the table, and she could draw a straight imaginary line from there down to the purple ball and to the white ball that stood near the left guard of the table. What she needed to do was to ensure the balls would move straight in the path.

It was then Candy realized that billiard was such a delicate sport, requiring grace and finesse. It relied less on instinct or brute strength but more on acumen and strategy. Climbing a tree and throwing a lasso were not. Therefore, she couldn't just aim blindly, she had to aim well on target. Easier said than done. The theory seemed simple enough, but she really doubted of achieving anything. So far, she had not pocketed a single ball whereas Annie and Patty had each pocketed one.

She felt a pair of hands curving around her shoulders gently and flinched. "Just do your best, Candy," Albert's voice, soothing and calming, reached her ears as he gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "You can do it."

Whether it was because of Albert's encouragement, or her own frustration-provoked determination, Candy couldn't tell. But she suddenly felt a burst of confidence as she lowered herself into position, lips pressed, eyes fastened on her targets,.

A deep breath, a shrill resounding tack ripping through the tense silence that lingered over them, and then it was over. The white ball glided to a stop right by the hole; the purple ball had disappeared.

Candy's jaw dropped. "Did I just…"

Albert beamed. "Yes, Candy. You did it. You pocketed the ball for us to win the game. And that was a fantastic move too. Excellent work, Candy."

"Oh my god! I can't believe it. I actually did it. We won!" Candy flung herself to Albert and looped her arms around him tightly. "I couldn't have done it without you, Albert. Thank you…"

Albert didn't reply, but Candy could feel his arms wrap gently around her back, sheltering her in a tender embrace. Her lips stretched into a smile, and without giving it much of a thought, she nestled into his chest, relishing in his warmth, the steady beating of his heart lulling her.

"Isn't that sweet?"

Archie's sing-song, teasing voice mixed with soft female giggles startled Candy, and she hastily disentangled her arms from Albert and stepped back, her gaze darting around, catching Archie's amused smirk, and Patty and Annie small all-knowing smiles.

Candy's smile remained etched on her face, betraying her racing heartbeat and swirling mind. On a whim, she had embraced Albert in front of her friends. It was a spontaneous action, one she had done numerous time in the past without the slightest reservation whenever she had felt happy or excited. But perhaps, while it was acceptable for her younger self to leap into Albert's arms, it was utterly inappropriate for a young woman of her age.

Archie laughed. "Well, I must say you and Candy make quite an invincible pair."

Albert suddenly turned to face Candy, causing her heart to lurch, and he grinned at her, his brilliant blue eyes sparkling with glee. "We certainly do, don't we?"

Unable to withstand Albert's gaze that seemed to possess the power to bewitch her, Candy dipped her head down, her cheeks warm, her lips quivering into a curve forming a shaky shy smile despite her attempt to suppress it. Her own reaction, behaving like a demure lady, was something of novelty to herself.

Luckily, none of her friends seemed to notice the anomaly in her behavior because right at that moment the waiter approached Archie and notified him that the snacks were ready to be served.

While the server cleaned up the table and rearranged it, Candy, Patty, and Annie went to use the ladies room.

For all the time they spent inside the small room, Candy couldn't stop worrying that Patty and Annie would tease her more about Albert.

"Candy, about your friend Tina…" Patty began as she and Candy stood in front of the sinks, washing their hands. "Was she really a student at St. Paul?"

"That's what she told me," Candy replied, turning to look at Patty. She was relieved Patty didn't say anything about Albert.

Patty pulled her hands out of the sink and wiped them with towel. "I don't know if this is about your friend or if there is any truth to what I've heard. But not long after you left the Academy, there was this story about a red-haired female student circulating around the campus. The story surfaced because it was similar to yours."

Candy's eyebrows arched. "You couldn't possibly mean that this girl ran away from school too?" Candy turned off the faucet and shook her hands before dabbing them dry against the towel.

"Yes, with a man," answered Patty, fiddling with the position of her spectacles. "He wasn't a student in St. Paul. In fact, he wasn't a student at all. From what I've gathered, the man was much older than her, and he was a writer or a poet."

"Yeah, I've heard that story too," Annie chimed in as she walked out of one of the toilet stalls and moved toward them. "But I doubt it was real. It sounded like something coming straight out of a romance novel. And nobody knew who this girl was. Not even the name."

"So it could be just a myth…" Candy commented. Yet her mind refuted her own conclusion. There was something oddly familiar about the story, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what.

"But I know something that is not a myth and would be of interest to you, Candy," Annie said with an inflection of excitement in her voice. "Archie mentioned to me that there will be a huge party in the Plaza Hotel in late spring, and all the members of the Andrews family and their close partners are required to attend. It is a momentous event not to be missed. Can you guess what is it?" Annie dipped her hand under the running water.

Candy shrugged. "I have no idea. A wedding, perhaps?"

"Not quite." Annie shook her head. "It's the formal introduction of the Patriarch of Andrews, your Uncle William. Candy—you're going to finally be able to meet your generous benefactor. Isn't that great?"

"I've not heard anything about it."

Annie gave Candy a reassuring smile. "You shouldn't worry about that. The date has not been set yet. I'm sure George will inform you of the details once everything has been finalized."

"Yes, Candy. Uncle William will surely request your presence at the party," Patty added, resting a hand against Candy's back. "Just like you he must have looked forward to see you in person."

"You think so? Oh, that would be great. I can finally express my utmost gratitude to him. He has done so much for me, that I can't imagine how I would turn out without him in my life."

Their chatter persisted as they made their way back to the private dining room. But the moment they crossed the threshold, their mouths snapped shut altogether. They turned to glance at one another, as though seeking for an answer. The room they entered appeared different than the one they had exited ten minutes ago. It was darker and more inviting. The casual air had disappeared, and there was a mellow song playing from a gramophone, imbuing the room with a touch of romance. The dimmed lighting brought the focus automatically to the crackling fireplace burrowed into the opposite wall from the entrance, where Archie and Albert stood, talking in low voices, a glass goblet partially filled with amber liquid held in each of their hands.

As soon as Archie saw them, he took a quick sip from his glass and settled it atop the wooden mantle. Then he traversed across the room toward them with gait oozing with confidence. Albert followed behind him at a much leisure pace a moment later.

"How about a dance, ladies?" Archie performed a gallant bow, flashing his most charming smile.

"Annie would love to dance with you, Archie," Candy answered with a knowing quirk in her lips, her eyes darting to Annie who had turned beet red in the face.

"But, Candy—"

Archie straightened to his full height and outstretched his hand to Annie. "Shall we, Miss Brighton?"

With her head dipped low and lips tucked in a bashful smile, Annie let Archie lead her to the open area in front of the fireplace, and Candy couldn't help but sigh in wistfulness as she saw them stepping closer toward each other and lacing their hands together. She felt terrible for Annie. No doubt, Archie's decision to move to Boston had devastated Annie, and this could be their last dance in a long while. Sometimes, Candy wondered about Archie's feelings for Annie, whether he truly cherished her, but now seeing the way he held his gaze at Annie, gentle yet with intense adoration, she felt her worry was unfounded.

"Would you like to dance, Candy?"

Candy's heart leaped. Had she heard what she thought she had just heard? Candy spun her head sideways. No, she had not mistaken hearing that at all. It was really Albert who had voiced the question as she could verify from the expectant look on his face. She turned her head to the other side and met Patty's smiling face.

"Umm… Maybe not right now," Candy replied, keeping her gaze on Patty. Patty had been in a cheerful mood, and the last thing Candy wanted to do was to cause Patty to feel lonely, where she would inevitably start thinking about Stear and become depressed by it. "Why don't you dance with Patty instead, Albert?" Candy suggested good-naturedly, wiping the smile on Patty's face completely as Patty stared at her with questions swimming in her big brown eyes.

When Candy turned to face Albert, apart from the surprise painted across his face, she caught something else in his expression. But before she could decipher what it was, Albert had diverted his attention to Patty. "Patty, would you like to dance?"

Patty peered at Candy behind her glasses, looking unsure. "I…"

"Don't mind me, Patty," Candy assured with a grin. "I will be at the table, sampling all those scrumptious snacks to my heart's content. Go dance with Albert." As if to prove her words, Candy pivoted away from them and strode to the dining table. As she took her seat, she could see Albert and Patty joining Archie and Annie, dancing in front of the fireplace.

Her eyes idly swept the table that was now an alluring display of delicious array of small edibles: cheese and crackers, biscuits, cookies, dried and fresh fruits. But for whatever reason, she didn't jump at the opportunity to pile her plate high with her favorite snacks as she had claimed she would and only picked three pieces of wheat crackers and a slice of cheese. She supposed she was still full from all the pasta she had eaten earlier.

She nibbled on her cracker slowly and let her gaze wander about before she found it gravitate back toward her friends.

In one corner, away from the fireplace, Archie and Annie swayed to the music, whispering quietly to each other. In contrast, soft laughter and giggles flitted from the other dancing pair, as Albert and Patty seemed to be engrossed in a lively chat, enjoying each other's company, which was quite surprising to Candy, as she thought Patty would be too shy to strike any conversation with Albert, let alone joking around with him. This was the first time she had ever seen them interact close—the first time ever Candy had seen Albert with another woman, and Candy must admit Patty and Albert did make an adorable couple.

As the song progressed, Candy's amusement gradually unraveled with each sip of wine she consumed before it dissolved completely into a frown when Albert and Patty resumed dancing after a brief pause in which the gramophone switched to the next song.

Could it be possible that Patty _liked_ Albert? Well, Patty did say Albert was rather handsome. With Stear gone, Patty might have a longing for another man to fill the void.

Patty and Albert. Now that was something she had never thought possible. But why not? They both were her friends whom she loved dearly. She should be happy if that were to happen.

She should—but she couldn't, for the thought of Albert and Patty as a couple did nothing but prick at her heart painfully.

Deluged by a sudden urge to leave the room, Candy leaped to her feet but could only move a few steps from the table before she had to come to an abrupt halt with Patty appearing out of nowhere and obstructing her path.

"Candy, where are you going?" Candy couldn't tell from Patty's tone whether she was upset or not. "Now is your turn to dance. You're the only one who hasn't danced," Patty stated.

Candy waved her hand up. "I'm fine. Really. I don't need to." Her smile faltered when her gaze inadvertently met Albert's, who observed from a distance away, and she swiftly steered her gaze back to Patty. "Besides, you seemed to be quite fond dancing with Albert. Why don't you continue dancing with him?"

The creases along Patty's brows deepened, and Candy felt her heart drop, realizing how terribly insincere and impertinent she had sounded. "Patty—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Dance with Albert, Candy," Patty insisted, a glint of determination in her eyes. "You owe him one."

"Patty—"

Candy's protest was transformed into a loud shriek as Candy found herself being dragged by Patty and then pushed toward Albert, causing her to wobble on her feet and stumble forward. Fumbling to regain her balance and composure, Candy hadn't realized she had been clinging tightly to Albert. But the instant she became aware of the warm and hard plane she pressed herself into was Albert's body, she unwound her arms and sprung back, putting a considerable distance between them, her heart setting off in a frenzy.

"You look at me as if I were a frightening beast about to pounce on you." Albert laughed, his laughter sounding uncharacteristically hollow to her ears. "That's okay. I know you don't want to dance with me."

Only then it dawned on Candy that she might have hurt him unwittingly. "No, that's not true…" She took a deep breath. "It's just that… I… " she murmured, looking down at the floor.

"I was just teasing you, Candy," Albert cut in. "It's fine if you don't feel like dancing tonight…"

Candy raised her head timidly. "But, I do. I do want to dance with you." A shy smile nestled in the delicate folds of her lips. "But I'm a terrible dancer and can only do waltz."

Albert's countenance brightened as a smile slowly developed. "I'm not an expert either. We can start slow… Well, shall we?"

Candy blinked. For a second, she thought she had just seen someone else instead of her friend Albert. His gesture, even though it was a mere subtle head tilt coupled with a swiping hand move that was not nearly as grand as Archie's, exuded regal grace, a trait possessed only by a high born gentleman. Absently, she followed Albert to the middle of the room and placed herself an arm's length away from him. Albert gripped her hand lightly in his while his other hand rested gently against the small of her back, her gaze fastened on his feet as he began to move to the rhythm. For the second time that night, Candy found herself pondering over Albert's background.

There were stories she had heard of men and women born of illustrious families who, for reasons only known to themselves, had relinquished their surnames and opted to live as commoners. Was it possible that Albert was such a person? From all their past encounters, from Lakewood to London to Chicago, he had always appeared modest, wearing normal clothes. His looks, however, had undergone a dramatic transformation from the very first time she had met him. Gone were the beard and the mustache, then the glasses that hid his beautiful azure eyes, then his hair and now…

She tilted her head back, her eyes roaming over Albert's face, skimming over his finely sculpted features that were devoid of blemishes and flaws.

But her leisure perusal was cut short when Albert suddenly cocked a brow at her, as though asking her.

Embarrassed to have been caught staring, Candy quickly shook her head, whipping her head away from him. "Nothing."

"You know, I don't think you're a terrible dancer at all. So far you haven't stepped on my foot."

Candy pouted, feigning annoyance. "That's not funny."

"I'm sorry." Albert bestowed her with an apologetic smile. "If you want to stop now, we—"

"No, this is fine. I quite enjoy it actually."

"Do you really? You looked so distracted earlier. Has something been bothering you?" Albert's blue eyes regarded hers carefully.

And just like that, the question that had plagued her mind spewed out of her mouth. "Albert—are you worried at all you still haven't recovered from amnesia?"

Stupefaction veiled Albert's face for a moment before he abruptly glanced away from her, his lips pulled into a straight line. "About that…" he paused, releasing a breath in a wheeze. "If you are worried that I've been living with you for too long, I can move out. I understand my staying—"

"NO—"

Candy's bellow penetrated through the mellifluous tune, boring a moment of disruption in the tranquil atmosphere.

Candy stared at Albert's perplexed face, and peering past his shoulder, she caught a glimpse of Archie and Annie watching her curiously. It hadn't been her intention to be brash, but the thought that Albert had misunderstood her had filled her with irrational fear, and she had acted without thinking. Reverting her focus to Albert, she swallowed. "No," she repeated in a near whisper. "That's not what I meant at all. I don't mind living with you at all, even if you—if you never recover. You can live with me as long as you want…"

The meaning of the statement she had just delivered didn't seep into her mind until she noticed they had ceased moving. Albert's face was a shield of bewilderment and sadness.

Candy felt panic lodging in her throat, her gaze drifting aimlessly, her heart pounding. She couldn't believe she had just told Albert that she essentially was willing to commit herself to him—to continue living with him indefinitely, against which her friends had persuaded her from doing.

"Umm… I didn't mean that—you know what I mean… I mean… Umm…"

A fleeting squeeze of her hand propelled Candy to turn mute at once, and she felt Albert tug her gently toward him as they resumed dancing. "Thank you, Candy. I'm most grateful for your kind offer." Albert smiled, his tender gaze sending warmth to her heart. "To be honest, I rather live here with you than anywhere else in the world, but…" His smile gradually disintegrated, his jaw clenching in firm conviction. "I can't do that. I don't feel right to keep imposing on you. At some point, I must move out."

"Albert…"

Albert looked at Candy fixedly, sending her a tacit plea.

Candy bit her lips, struggling to put on a smile. It was just so impossibly difficult to smile when she only wanted to argue with him, yet she understood she mustn't—she ought to respect him, respect his wish. She had no right to make him stay with her. "I understand…" she finally uttered in a resigned whisper a moment later.

Without another word emitted by either of them, they continued their dance in silence until the song was finished, and together with Archie and Annie, they returned to their seats.

Candy gave Patty a rueful smile as she settled herself into the chair next to Patty. "Patty… I…"

"It's fine, Candy," Patty dismissed with a smile. "I know you were worried about me."

"I just didn't want you to feel alone…"

Patty heaved a sorrowful sigh. "I appreciate your concern. But even when I'm surrounded with people, the grief is still there. It feels like a dull pain in my chest."

Candy patted Patty's hand lightly. She could relate to what Patty was saying, for she had experienced the pain herself, twice. "It will get better. I promise."

Patty smiled weakly. "I know…"

Compared to what her friends had to endure, Patty's struggle with her anguish over Stear and Annie's insecurity over her relationship with Archie, for once, Candy felt everything was fine for her. She had her job. She had Tina, who had introduced her to some new friends. She had George and Uncle William. And she had… Candy's gaze traversed across the table and lingered on her blond roommate, who seemed to be preoccupied conversing with Archie and Annie. She had Albert.

But for how long? Candy didn't know when he would leave, but a gnawing feeling in her gut told her it could happen soon—probably even sooner than she thought.

Fate had been her cruel adversary. It had snatched away everything she had held dear in the blink of an eye, when she had least expected, in the moment when happiness was within her grasp, with Anthony, with Terry. Yet she had managed to have her heart mended because there had been someone by her side. It hadn't been Annie, or Patty, or Archie or anyone else, for that matter—rather, it had always been Albert. Albert had always been there when she had needed him the most, lending his comforting arms, brushing away her tears with his gentle hands, and whispering tender words.

But who would console her when Albert was gone?

Just as Candy felt her spirit deflate, the merriment in the room diminished. The ache of separation manifested itself in Archie's somber speech, Annie's reluctant smile, and Patty's melancholic gaze, and with the needles on the clock drawing near to the nine o'clock mark, the party came to an end.

Two things became very clear to Candy as she exchanged tearful goodbye hugs with her friends. One she despised farewell. Two she never wished to say goodbye to Albert.

For that reason, she resolved she would never ask Albert to leave nor would she ever forsake him, despite the consequences and risks of being caught by Aunt Elroy or Uncle William, despite the words of warning and advice Tina, Patty, and Annie had inundated her with, despite her conscience nudging at her. If tomorrow he woke up, remembering everything and telling her that he would have to leave, then she would let him. But until that dreadful time arrived, she would continue living with him.

Perhaps she was being selfish—that might very well be. But just this once, she would allow her selfish side win, for the thought of parting from him brought deep anguish to her heart and losing him was akin to losing a part of herself—it would utterly devastate her.

"Candy—are you coming?"

Candy jerked her head up to see Albert heading toward her and only then she noticed she had stood unmoving in the middle of the stairway of the station. They had just alighted the train that had transported them back to their hometown.

Shaking herself out of her trance, Candy donned a smile to cover her lapse as Albert treaded up one more step so that they were at eye level with each other, but before she could even open her mouth to reply, Albert swiftly leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly against her forehead.

Mouth agape, she could only stare at him as he drew away. Her fingers rubbed at the spot where his lips had left a warm, soft impression against her skin.

"That was for pocketing the winning ball for our team," he explained with a smile, his blue eyes gleaming with tenderness that made her heart sigh in contentment. Then as he pivoted to turn his back to her, he whispered, "And for the kiss you had stolen from me two nights ago."

Candy's heart lurched to a stop and then soared into raging pounding against her ribcage, her arms falling limp to her sides, scene from two days ago flashing in the back of her mind.

How could Albert know about that? Had he been awake the whole time?

It had been an impulsive act, one that she had not, even for a second, contemplated over. But a kiss was still a kiss, and she couldn't deny Albert's allegation—she indeed had stolen a kiss from him. She felt awful. What must have Albert thought of her now? That she was some kind of thief-kissing fiend? Shame and guilt cascaded over her like heavy boulders tumbled down the mountain in an avalanche.

"I'm sorry… I mean it was a—a…"Candy kept her gaze at Albert's retreating back, her fingers furling and unfurling as she frantically fumbled to link words into a proper apology and an explanation. "You know, I—"

"It's fine, Candy. You don't need to explain. I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it other than a friendly gesture, right?"

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Albert suddenly whirled around to face her, wearing his usual tender smile, but there was something in his eyes that seemed to entreat her to challenge his statement. Candy felt her tongue turn numb, words stubbornly adhering to the lining in her throat. The urge to whip her head down to avert her gaze from his penetrating one nearly overwhelmed her but she somehow managed to restrain it.

A deep chuckle floated into her ears and dispersed the palpable tension between them. "You don't need to steal a kiss from me, Candy." Albert winked. "I would be more than happy to let you kiss me anytime." With that he strode off leaving Candy behind.

As Candy began to comprehend what his statement could imply, she felt her whole face ablaze with heat. "It was only a joke, Candy. He hadn't really meant it," she said to herself.

"Candy—"

"Huh?"

Albert stood with his back propped against the wall of the corridor, arms crossed over his chest. "Are you coming or do you need me to carry you? At this rate, we might have to spend the night here."

Candy stiffened before embarrassment spurred her to skip all the way down to the bottom of the stairs and dashed past Albert, Albert's amused chuckles trailing after her as she quickened her pace to exit the building. But her step suddenly halted, the tip of her boot protruding an inch over the raised floor of the narrow terrace. She tipped her head back, eyes wide with wonderment, peering at the myriad tiny glitters cascading from the dark sky. Her upturned hand reached forward to catch a few of the sparkling flakes, but upon landing on her palm, they melted into beads of water.

"Ah… flurries," Albert commented, standing next to her.

Candy heaved a contented sigh, her breath condensed into a cloud of fine mist that was instantly dispersed into the air. "You were right when you said it was going to snow today. Driving in this condition would have been bad… " She turned her head toward Albert, his profile to her, tendrils of blond hair slipping across his forehead.

"Yeah…" Albert steered his gaze in Candy's direction and smiled. "Shall we go home now before it gets worse?"

"Yes."

They stepped out of the covered terrace and into the walkway with fluttering white flurries flying all around them. The streets were mostly empty, devoid of casual passersby and the group of middle-age men who usually mingled by the corner, smoking, drinking, and playing cards. The soles of their shoes crunching against the brick sidewalk echoed every step they made as they trotted their way toward the apartment in silence. Fine flurries steadily growing into soft mass continued to fall, dusting the grounds and rooftops with white powder and accumulating into small lumps around the windowsills.

Candy blew warm breath into her hands. It sure was chilly tonight compared to the afternoon. Unfortunately, she had not brought her scarf nor gloves. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. At least, she had worn her wool winter coat. She dug her hands deep into her coat pockets.

All of a sudden, she felt something drape over her shoulders. Her fingers gripped at the soft material, and she threw a swift glance to her side.

"The scarf should help keeping you warm a bit," Albert merely explained.

Their brisk pace dropped to lingering in a spot illuminated by the streetlamp.

She was deeply touched. His kindness knew no bounds. "Thanks… But how about you? You will be without a scarf."

Albert's hand reached for the end of the scarf and wrapped it across her neck and over her shoulder to secure it. "I'll be fine, Candy. I don't want you to catch a cold."

Did he even care about himself? "But you could be the one ending up with a cold."

"Since I would have you to nurse me back to my health, that wouldn't be a terrible predicament, would it?" Albert quipped, a playful twinkle in his eyes.

Candy felt heat rise to her face. "Sto—"

Her retort was cast aside when she felt a drop of cold water landing on the tip of her nose. Instead of pure snow, it had changed to a mixture of ice, snow, and water.

With a firm clasp around her hand, Albert began dragging her along. "We should hurry home now. I don't want us to be caught in freezing rain. Who knows what could happen in the next few minutes?"

Candy simply nodded in assent and picked up her pace to match Albert's. Her fingers curled over Albert's hand, and she felt the smooth pad of his thumb lightly graze her skin. Sneaking a glance over his shoulder, Albert raised his brows at her in an inquiring look that she returned with a hasty smile and a headshake. He smiled back. But as soon as he rotated his head to the front, her smile wilted like a rose abandoned in the hot desert.

Albert would leave her. The hand that held hers would be no more, leaving nothing but a flimsy illusion of warmth, his smile a floating shadow in the dark recess of her mind.

Her moping, however, was short lived.

About halfway to the apartment, without warning, the soft snow intensified into ferocious pelting of solid ice pellets, beating hard against them. They broke into frenzied run, but it was impossible to look straight ahead with wind blasting slivers of ice into their eyes. Candy ducked her head, clutching at the scarf and tugging it up to cover half of her face. Albert's hold around her tightened, and the next thing she knew, she was yanked to the side. The heels of her boots skidded over the frosty ground, throwing her off balance. She staggered and collided onto him, face pressed onto his chest.

For a moment, they remained still in their entangled position with his arms wrapping tightly around her, enveloping her in a protective embrace, the rise and fall of their chests racing against each other. Candy moved her head off Albert's chest slightly and noted that they huddled in a corner of a building. There was an overhanging ledge right above them, wide enough to provide shelter from the heavy sleets.

A gush of icy breeze beat against them, and Candy shivered, burrowing her head back into Albert's chest, her fingers scraping and grasping at the damp and cold material of his sweater. Only then she noted the tremors from his body that shook against her. She pushed herself away from him and looked up. Upon seeing the streaks of frost that coated parts of his face and fringes, she gasped. If he had kept his scarf, this wouldn't have happened. Her hands reached up to his cheeks, rubbing the wispy flakes of ice crystals away from his skin. She let one thumb move in a tentative sweep over his skin and graze his quivering upper lip. The flesh felt as cold as ice, and the color was no longer healthy light pink but pale blue. Instinctively, cupping his face in her hands, she hoisted herself up on her tiptoes and craned her neck until she could feel his cold lips on hers in the ghost of a touch. She blew onto his lips gently, hoping that she could transmit some of her heat onto him, the least she could do for him.

But when her gaze clashed with a pair of astounded blue eyes, the realization of what she had just done shocked her to the core. What was she doing? Was she kissing him?

Candy dropped her heels back to the ground and retracted her hands swiftly, attempting to wriggle free, but the arms that roped around her didn't budge. Whipping her head down in shame, she whimpered, "I… I don't know why I did that… I…" Her voice was nothing but low murmurs muffled by the rumbling sleets. "But… you did say I could kiss you anytime." She gulped. That last statement. Why on earth had she said that? "No, that wasn't... I mean... I—"

She stopped her stammering at once when she felt Albert's cold fingers grip her chin gently and cant it at an angle.

"Ummm… Yeah… I did—I did say that, didn't I?" He chuckled, but there was no trace of humor in his voice.

With her heart thumping fiercely inside her chest, she willed herself to slide her eyelids up bit by bit. The instant Albert's entire face filled her vision, her breath hitched, and she was instantly immersed in his vibrant blue eyes that glimmered with undisguised adoration.

This time, it was Albert's lips that sought hers first in the briefest of a brush, sending a jolt of tingle down her spine.

The shock threw her mind spinning. Her conscience ordered her to flee, but she made no move to push Albert away when he cradled her jaw in his hand, his fingers, surprisingly much warmer now, trailing a soft caress on her skin. He regarded her silently, his eyes penetrating into hers, as though searching into her soul. Her heart pounding faster, her breath raspy, she thought she was about to burst at the seams from the anticipation. What was he thinking? She wished she could read his mind. She wished he could say something. She wished she could say something, anything. But all her thoughts dissipated into haze as she watched through hooded eyes his lips descend slowly toward her lips before claiming hers in a passionate kiss that sapped the breath out of her. She clung to him with all her might and reciprocated without reserve, the best way her inexperienced self could, mimicking his movement, every ardent stroke, every voracious nibble. He deepened the kiss, drawing one shuddering gasp after another from her; his hands dropped to her neck, smooth fingertips stroking and kneading at the sensitive area beneath the scarf. Her lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen, and her whole body simmered with heat despite the biting cold air. She grew dizzy but didn't dare to draw away, didn't dare to open her eyes, terrified of what would happen next.

A moment later, Albert detached his lips from hers. Her eyes flew open, and their gazes seeking each other as he retreated, his mouth ajar, as if he were about to say something. But in the next second, he wound his arms around her, pulling her tight against him, and she found herself nuzzled under his chin. "Let's wait here a bit…" he said, his voice a hoarse rumble in her ears.

Candy nodded mutely into his chest, feeling the rapid palpitation of his heart that beat in tandem with hers.

The passing storm gradually abated, but the storm lashing inside of her didn't show any sign of ebbing.

Not once had she ever imagined that this would ever happen, not tonight, not with Albert—definitely not with Albert.

Now what?

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Remark:<strong>

I probably shouldn't have bothered setting a word limit. LOL.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new chapter. And yes, it's super long more than 9k words.  
>I contemplated to split it into two but decided against it as it might ruin the flow.<br>It is supposed to be a chapter with a slow build up that leads to a nice climax. Well, at least, that was the intention. I hope I managed to deliver it somewhat.

Quick recap: What a night it is for Candy! First Patty and Annie teasing her, then Albert confronting her. And it seem she has finally fully awakened. What will happen next? ;)

And I thought that's the perfect place to end the chapter, don't you think? ;)

The next update may take longer though as work and real life take precedent.

Time to address some comments:

Lenniee: Thank you again for all your feedback. And for that, I would like to reward you with 1 brownie point. You can ask any question related to the story using that. As for Tina, there's one hint included in this chapter. And about her allusion to incestuous love, I can only say that Tina is really different in her way of thinking compared to Candy. Her mind is treacherous, unlike Candy's. About Albert confronting Candy. Well, he sort of does it in this chapter.

Josie: Candy has made up her mind about not leaving, at least in this chapter. Well, Albert has certainly made his move in this chapter, sort of, not sure about the gradual part though. :D

kellyelin: I hope it's clear about Archie and Annie in this chapter. And sorry, no Neal, at least not yet.

Reeka: I hope you approve the length of this chapter. And Albert and Candy are making progress, but we'll see what's next for them.

French Candy: I'm glad to hear you're safe and sound. And I'm also happy to hear that my chapter could entertain you. In this chapter, Candy is quite firm on not leaving. There is a bit of Tina in this chapter. It's not explicitly stated but it gives hints. Candy is still wearing her ponytails in this chapter, but maybe she'll change now. We'll see. :D

notastalker 3: Sorry, not much about Tina in this chapter. But there's definitely some awakening. And that book sounds interesting, I'll put in on my list.

KeilaNt: I hope you can sigh with relief now. Candy is not leaving. Tina is just different; her mind is a bit 'twisted', that's all I can say for now. As for Albert... Well he makes his move, sort of. Will he leave? You'll find out soon.

Ckati: I don't know why I decided to take the hardest route by going with 1 POV (plus 1 scPOV) and writing it in 3rd person. It's definitely challenging especially when there are so many characters in one scene, such in this chapter. But I hope I was able to convey the thoughts and emotions correctly. Tina clearly has influenced Candy. But now there's Patty and Annie too. But nothing compares to Albert confronting Candy directly. :D

Charmichan: I'm glad you approve the direction of the story. But Candy in the end decided to be selfish anyway. And Albert surely has awakened her in this chapter. :D

Lezti: I wonder why you like that scene. Maybe because you're thinking about something else? :D

Luzpaat: Welcome back to CC world. Don't know about this being a masterpiece, but thanks for you kind words. I'm glad you're liking the story so far. I hope you'll catch up with your reading soon. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

**Many hugs and kisses for the kudos, faves, follows, and comments.**

Stay tuned for chapter 9

Till next time

**-forever-**


End file.
